Police fear Wiltshire has been exposed to a nerve agent | Kingdom News

The Anti-Terrorism Police attached the investigation to two people in critical condition in Wiltshire, fearing to have been exposed to a nerve agent.

The two men were found unconscious in a property in Amesbury. It is believed that they overdosed, but their symptoms alarmed doctors and Wiltshire police, who led them to suspect a possible nerve agent.

The man and woman in their forties were in critical condition at Salisbury District Hospital. Police said Wednesday

Trials were underway on the substance in the defense laboratory of the Porton Down government. Whitehall sources said it was too early to say whether the substance was related to illicit drugs or "something more sinister".

The duo is believed to be British citizens unlikely to have been the victims of a targeted attack. "It's an incident that is naturally treated with the utmost seriousness," said Theresa May's spokeswoman. Government security officials held a meeting of the Cobra committee at the Cabinet office Wednesday morning to discuss the events in Amesbury and another meeting will take place later.

Anti-terrorism officers also joined the investigation. A spokesman for the Scotland Yard Counterterrorism Command said: "As expected, given the recent events in Salisbury, counterterrorism officers are working jointly with colleagues from the Wiltshire police on 39, incident of Amesbury. As the Wiltshire police said, they keep an open mind about the circumstances surrounding the incident and will inform the public as quickly and as regularly as possible. "

The incident occurs four months after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, was poisoned by an alleged nerve agent at Salisbury, about eight miles from Amesbury [19659002] Counterterrorism officers will have more knowledge about the problems associated with nerve agents and other military weapons, as well as having the security clearance needed to work with intelligence agencies.

A government source has not downplayed the potential gravity of the incident, believing that it was a concern and that it was under close scrutiny

.Amesbury area and the Salisbury was cordoned off as a precaution, although the force indicated that it was not yet clear whether the pair were the victims of a crime.Tests were under way to establish the substance that had brought them to fall

Neighbors said they believed the two sick people had attended a roast pork organized by the Amesbury Baptist Church. They were told not to be regular practitioners. The Baptist Church has been cordoned off.

The Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury, which includes a children's play area and an adjacent car park, were also cordoned off, with police officers guarding the area. The Harcourt Medical Center, a nearby medical center, was closed to the public Wednesday morning, although it reopened later. The police readjusted the cordon at the perimeter of the gardens

It was not confirmed that the sites were related to the incident in Amesbury.

Public Health England (PHE) said that he did not believe that there was a

investigation into the attack of nerve agents in Salisbury in March is being conducted by the Scotland Yard Anti-Terrorist Command, which is now involved in the investigation of the couple. Police said that the man and woman were found unconscious at an address on Muggleton Road on Saturday night, and that it was initially believed that they had taken illicit drugs, but that they were not safe. 39, other tests were in progress. It is believed that the address is on a new subdivision located at the southern edge of town, near Stonehenge.

A police officer was posted outside one of the properties on Wednesday morning, but no cordon was in place.

Amesbury Mayor Margaret Strange visited the address to speak to the police. She said that she had not been told what had happened, but she added, "Obviously, it's worrying when something like this happens on your doorstep."

Neighbors expressed concern at the incident. Amy Ireland, 32, said the area was filled with firefighters, police and paramedics on Saturday. "We were coming back from my 10-year-old son's football presentation, there was a lot of excitement, some cords were put in place and people were pushed back," she said.

"People thought it was a gas leak at the beginning.Now we do not know what to think.It is very disturbing.My son is playing here on the green.Sixbury Premier, now this. "

Another neighbor, Jake Murphy, said that he had moved to Amesbury from Salisbury for quiet life. "And then it happens, there are all kinds of rumors circulating that this has to do with the Russians."

A police statement said, "The police and Wiltshire partners have declared this a major incident after suspecting that two people may have been exposed to an unknown substance in Amesbury 19659025] "Emergency services were called to an address at Muggleton Road, Amesbury on Saturday evening [30 June] after 39, a man and a woman, both in their forties, were found unconscious in a property. They are currently both being treated for suspicion of exposure to an unknown substance at Salisbury District Hospital. They are both in critical condition.

"It was initially believed that both patients became ill after using heroin or crack in a batch of contaminated drugs, however, further tests are under way to establish the substance that has leads to illness and we keep an open mind about the circumstances surrounding this incident. "

A number of sites that we believed to be places frequented by both men and women before they get sick have been curly during the night. There was no cord at Amesbury's ambulance

A Boots branch at Amesbury was also closed and guarded by the police

Meanwhile, there was a presence Police increased in and around Amesbury and Salisbury. The Salisbury District Hospital was functioning normally and officials advised people to attend routine appointments unless they were contacted to do otherwise.

A spokesman for PHE said, "The current PHE England council is based on the number of casualties, and there is a significant risk to the health of the general public. that further information will be known. "

Sergei and Yulia Skripal spent weeks at the Salisbury District Hospital where they were treated for alleged exposure to the Novichok neurogenic agent. The British government accused Moscow of being behind the attack.

The Press Association contributed to this report