Novichok bottle 'picked up minutes after it was discarded'
The Guardian|November 26, 2024
A "bin surfer" may have found a fake perfume bottle containing a deadly nerve agent just minutes after it was discarded by agents trying to assassinate former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, a police counter-terrorism chief has said.
Steven Morris
Novichok bottle 'picked up minutes after it was discarded'

A CCTV still, revealed for the first time at the Wiltshire poisonings inquiry, shows Charlie Rowley apparently on the hunt for valuables in charity shop bins in Salisbury city centre shortly after the Russian suspects were in the area.

Commander Dominic Murphy, Britain's most senior counter-terrorism officer, told the inquiry he believes Rowley found the bottle and had it for more than three months - even moving home with it - before he gave it to his partner, Dawn Sturgess, who died after spraying the novichok on herself.

One of the central puzzles of the Skripal and Sturgess case is how a container apparently used to daub novichok on Skripal's front door handle in Salisbury on 4 March 2018 came to be opened by Sturgess in Amesbury, eight miles away, on 30 June.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView all
Frozen pensions War Veteran says she lost out on £50,000
The Guardian

Frozen pensions War Veteran says she lost out on £50,000

Anne Puckridge is travelling 4,400 miles on a mission to persuade the government to right a 'cruel' pensions policy, as Rupert Jones reports

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Money hacks How to buy preloved items to give as Christmas gifts
The Guardian

Money hacks How to buy preloved items to give as Christmas gifts

Buying preloved often requires more thought and preparation than buying new, so make time to find the perfect gift.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 30, 2024
The Filter Best robot vacuums to keep your home clean and dust free
The Guardian

The Filter Best robot vacuums to keep your home clean and dust free

Stuart Andrews trialled the most powerful robot vacuums - some of which even mop your floors - and these are the ones he rates

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Checkatrade How do rogue traders get past its checks?
The Guardian

Checkatrade How do rogue traders get past its checks?

The site says its tradespeople are 'guaranteed', but some customers say they have lost thousands after using it. Anna Tims reports

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
End of road Vauxhall workers in shock over plant closure
The Guardian

End of road Vauxhall workers in shock over plant closure

\"I don't have anything good to say about this place right now,\" someone shouts, as workers flood out of the front gates of the Vauxhall van plant on Luton's Kimpton Road.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Hybrid car sales could be permitted until 2035 to ease all-electric transition
The Guardian

Hybrid car sales could be permitted until 2035 to ease all-electric transition

Car manufacturers may be allowed to sell Toyota Prius-style hybrid models in the UK until 2035, as the government looks at ways to loosen electric vehicle sales rules.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Royal Mail falling further behind with delivery targets
The Guardian

Royal Mail falling further behind with delivery targets

Royal Mail has failed to deliver about a quarter of first-class post on time in recent months as its delivery performance continues to decline amid an investigation for missing its targets.

time-read
1 min  |
November 30, 2024
The Guardian

'Dirty money' Why people of all ages are investing in crypto

Miles, a 37-year-old NHS doctor from London, has been trying for years to persuade friends to buy cryptocurrencies.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Work Minister's plan to transform the job market
The Guardian

Work Minister's plan to transform the job market

\"This is why I love jobcentres: because they're intensely hopeful places.\" The employment minister, Alison McGovern, has spent half an hour perched on a desk in an office block in Hoxton, east London, hearing from a group of job coaches.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024
Shoppers bag Black Friday gifts online but in-store sales lag
The Guardian

Shoppers bag Black Friday gifts online but in-store sales lag

UK shoppers visited websites in droves to snap up Black Friday bargains, raising hopes the US-inspired promotional day would finally kick-start a festive spending spree.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 30, 2024