Appeal to guests who stayed at same hotel as Novichok suspects

Guests at a hotel visited by two men suspected of carrying out the Salisbury nerve agent attack have been urged by health officials to come forward.

The chief medical officer for England said anyone who stayed at the CityStay Hotel in Bow, east London, between Sunday March 4 and Friday May 4 should contact the investigation team.

One of the “remaining issues of concern” for authorities is “identifying and reassuring those guests that stayed in the CityStay hotel in the period between the suspects leaving the hotel and the police identifying, controlling and testing this location”, Dame Sally Davies said.

“This room was only allowed back into use after experts deemed it to be safe,” she added.

Members of the public should also avoid picking up any objects they do not recognise, as per previous Public Health England advice, while experts focus on “finding and making safe any remaining materials that may have been discarded by these suspects especially in the Salisbury area”.

Dame Sally said she is “confident” that members of the public who travelled alongside the suspects between March 2 and March 4, or after, are not at risk.

This includes those who travelled on public transport systems in London, train services and stations, airports, and those who were on the same Aeroflot flights.

“The risk to the public remains low – provided that our advice not to pick up unknown objects is followed,” she said.

“Everyone can be confident that our public transport systems in London and the South are safe, and also we can be confident that Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and the rail services linking them to London are safe.”

– Anyone who stayed at the CityStay hotel during the relevant period is asked to call the investigation team on 0800 789 32 or email salisbury2018@met.police.uk