Sergei Skripal 'poisoning' - as it happened: Theresa May chairs National Security Council meeting on Russian spy incident
Russian government says it has 'no information' on apparent poisoning of former double agent and his daughter
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Your support makes all the difference.Police are continuing to investigate the "unknown substance" that left a former Russian double agent and his daughter in a critical condition in hospital.
Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on Sunday.
Several members of emergency services personnel who responded to the call were themselves taken ill, with one remaining in hospital.
Investigators have seized CCTV footage from a nearby gym showing a man and woman, believed to be the victims, walking nearby just half an hour before police were called.
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Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, confirmed the victims' identities while answering an urgent question on the incident in the House of Commons.
“It is too early to speculate as to the precise nature of the crime or attempted crime that has taken place in Salisbury, but I know members will have their suspicions and what I will say is that if those suspicions prove to be well-founded than this Government will take whatever measures we deem necessary to protect the lives of people in this country, our values and our freedoms,” he said.
“Though I am not now pointing fingers, I say to governments around the world that no attempt to take innocent life on UK soil will go either unsanctioned or unpunished.”
An Italian chain restaurant has been closed as a precaution, with staff being interviewed as the probe continues.
Relatives told the BBC that Ms Skripal, 33, was in Britain to visit her father. His son is said to have died in non-suspicious circumstances while on holiday in Russia last year.
Mr Skripal is a former Russian double agent, who was convicted in his home country after spying for the UK.
Once a colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, he was given refuge in Britain after he was exchanged in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the West as part of a Cold War-style swap in Vienna.
The case has been compared to that of former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210, which was believed to have been put in his tea.
The Independent understands that police are looking for similarities between the cases and the modus operandi used.
Counter-terror police are helping with the investigation, although the incident itself is not terror-related.
Wiltshire Police said that Public Health England “reiterated that, based on the evidence to date, there is no known risk to the public's health.
“However, as a precaution they have advised that if you feel ill contact NHS on 111. If you feel your own or another's health is significantly deteriorating, ring 999”.
A major incident was declared at Salisbury District Hospital after the patients arrived, with people told not to attend A&E unless it is “extremely urgent”.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters Russia that the government did not “have any information” but was ready to cooperate with Britain if asked.
Mr Johnson asks for the support of both Labour and Conservative MPs for "standing up to Russia".
"I would like to express my deep gratitude to the emergency services for their professionalism and their response."
Mr Tugendat, a Conservative MP, welcomed Mr Johnson's statements on the "various abuses we are dealing with from Russia".
"It is quite clear that we are seeing a pattern in Russian behaviour," he adds, noting 14 potential deaths in the UK with links to Russian "elements".
"We are seeing a pattern here...this is a form of soft war that Russia is now conducting against the West," he adds. "This requires a whole of government response."
Mr Johnson replies: "It is clear that Russia is now in many respects a malign and disruptive force and the UK is leading counteracting that."
He says it is "difficult" because of the pressure exerted on other European countries by reliance on Russia's energy industry.
Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, says it is not appropriate to "indulge in speculation" while the investigation continues and so will not ask any specific questions on the case for that reason.
She asks instead about sanctions against Russia and the Sanctions and Money Laundering Bill, which is currently at the committee stage.
Mr Johnson says the Government will look at all routes to stop human rights abuses in Russia and violations of nuclear non-proliferation treaties.
Keith Simpson, a Conservative MP, says we "can see the direction of travel over the past decade of the Putin regime", which has a "capability to murder" perceived traitors.
He asks if sanctions are having "any effect whatsoever on Putin".
"We do believe the sanctions have had an effect," Mr Johnson replies. "The Russian economy took a serious hit as a result."
Stewart McDonald, a SNP MP, said the incident has an impact on how we "protect human assets like Mr Skripal" and asks whether a review is needed.
Mr Johnson says he cannot comment on protection measures but "we do our best".
Dominic Grieve, chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, says it has launched an inquiry into Russia's covert activities and "whether we have the appropriate responses to it...that is now a matter that requires greater urgency."
Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the Home Affairs Committee, asks "what about the other 14 cases of suspicious deaths" of Russian dissidents where there are "serious doubts" over the original conclusions of suicide drawn by British police.
She asks for further investigation or review in those cases, but Mr Johnson says "at present there is no further evidence that points in the direction of criminality" but he will raise the subject with the Home Secretary.
John Whittingdale, a Conservative MP, said "is it not clear that existing sanctions are failing to deter Russia possibly from carrying out further assassination attempts on British soil" and calls for tougher sanctions.
Mr Johnson says he will not prejudge the investigation but will look at all options if the Russian state is linked to the apparent attempt on Mr Skripal's life.
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