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.
Labour MP Chris Bryant says the Government "shrugged its shoulders" about the Litvinenko murder, saying: "Let's make it absolutely clear to Russia - you cannot kill people on our soil with impunity."
Mr Johnson disagrees, saying the UK has "led the world" with "tough actions" against Vladimir Putin's regime.
The debate continues, with MPs discussing wider issues over Russia, including "propaganda" from state-owned media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik.
Mr Johnson criticises MPs who have appeared on RT, who are accused of lending it credibility.
There is a lot of discussion about a comment by Mr Johnson's on the upcoming World Cup.
"I think it will be very difficult to see, thinking ahead to the World Cup this July, I think it will be very difficult to imagine that UK representation at that event will go ahead in the normal way and we will certainly have to consider that," he said.
Foreign Office officials are urgently briefing that the Foreign Secretary was referring to politicians and diplomats, rather than the football teams themselves.
Wiltshire Police will give an update on the situation at around 3pm, when we will bring you the latest news from its headquarters in Salisbury.
The Counter Terrorism Policing network says it has taken the lead on on the investigation from Wiltshire Police - not because the incident is terror-related, but because it has the expertise and capacity to handle it.
"Due to the unusual circumstances it has been decided that the Counter Terrorism Policing network will lead the investigation as it has the specialist expertise to do so," a spokesperson said.
"It has not been declared a terrorist incident and at this stage we are keeping an open mind as to what happened."
Mr Skripal and his daughter remain in a critical condition in intensive care.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the outgoing head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “Working alongside Wiltshire police and partner agencies, we are carrying out extensive inquiries today. This investigation is at the early stages and any speculation is unhelpful at this time.
“The focus at this time is to establish what has caused these people to become critically ill. We would like to reassure members of the public that this incident is being taken extremely seriously and we currently do not believe there is any risk to the wider public.
“We continue to appeal to any members of the public who may have information in relation to this incident to contact police immediately on 999.”
Photos have emerged of Sergei Skripal's 33-year-old daughter, Yulia.
They both remain critically ill in hospital.
A press conference is now starting at Wiltshire Police's conference in Salisbury now, where they will give updates on the "co-ordinated major response".
The Temporary Chief Constable, Keir Pritchard, said local authorities, the NHS, police and a "wide range of partners" are working together.
"Due to the unusual circumstances the Counter Terrorism Network will be leading this investigation as it has the specialist capabilities to do so," he says.
"They have not declared this a terrorist incident."
T/CC Pritchard said there is no wider risk to the wider public but confirms that a small number of police officers and emergency services personnel needed medical assistance.
So, still nothing on toxicology tests or any changes in the condition of Mr Skripal and his daughter.
There has been speculation regarding what "unknown substance" may have caused their illness, none of which has confirmed.
Some experts have suggested the use of nerve agents because of a witness report describing Mr Skripal and his daughter vomiting, twitching and unable to move.
Symptoms such poisoning include convulsions and deaths by asphyxiation because control of respiratory muscles is lost as a result of the attack on the nervous system.
Among the most powerful is VX, a toxin developed at the British Porton Down facility, which was used to assassinate Kim Jong-nam - the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February 2017. The suspect accused of handling the toxic was taken ill with vomiting because of the exposure.
Other nerve agents include sarin, which has similar effects and can lead to death by asphyxia. The chemical weapon has been used in gas form against civilians by regime forces in the ongoing Syrian civil war.
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