Salisbury spy attack police officer Nick Bailey set to leave hospital, ITV News understands

  • By ITV News Correspondent Rupert Evelyn

The police officer poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok is expected to be discharged from hospital shortly.

ITV News understands that Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is close to being able to leave Salisbury District Hospital where he has been since being struck down by the potentially lethal chemical.

The Wiltshire police officer was initially in a critical condition having come into contact with the chemical weapon while working on the investigation into the targeted attack on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain critically ill.

Within days of admission he was able to sit up and was talking to family and nursing staff, although concerns remained about the long-term impact of exposure to the nerve agent.

While in hospital he has been visited by the Prime Minister Theresa May and the Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

He was also praised by his Chief Constable Kier Pritchard as "a great character, a huge presence in Wiltshire Police - well liked well loved".

Mr Skripal and his daughter remain critically ill as they have been since admission to hospital on the March 4.