Skripals' former home 'to be dismantled' in post-Novichock deep clean

The home of a former Russian spy will be dismantled and the roof completely removed following last year's Novichok attack.

The home for Sergei and Yulia Skripal will be taken apart by military teams as part of decontamination work.

Wiltshire Council have written to neighbours of the Skripals, warning them about the disruption the deep clean and construction work will cause.

It's expected to take up to four months to complete.

Detectives believe the pair first came into contact with the poison when it was sprayed on the door handle of their property in Christie Miller Road,Salisbury.

The clean-up has been taking place ever since they collapsed on March 5, but work paused over Christmas.

The next, more extensive phase of the operation was due to begin on January 7, according to a letter seen by the Press Association.

Dated January 4 and signed by the council's director of public of health, Tracy Daszkiewicz, it told residents that contractors would spend the first month erecting scaffolding to cover the house and garage with a "sealed frame".

A military team will then dismantle and remove the roofs on the two buildings over two weeks.

Everything will be wrapped and sealed before being removed from the site, and then the roofs will be replaced, Ms Daszkiewicz said.

The letter said: "This phase includes the removal of the house roof and garage roof at No 47 (Christie Miller Road).

"All materials will be wrapped and sealed on site before being removed safely from the premises.

"Once the covered frame is in place, the deconstruction work is expected totake around two weeks.

"This specialist work will be carried out by the military team.

"When that work is completed, contractors will move on site to build areplacement roof for the house and adjoining garage."

She said the risk to public health remains "low", adding: "The priority isto make sure that the two remaining sites affected by the 2018 incidents arethoroughly cleaned and returned to normal use as soon as possible."

Mr Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter survived the attack which Prime Minister Theresa May said had "almost certainly" been approved by the Russian state.

Wiltshire Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is also thought to have come intocontact with the poison when he searched their home.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell ill in Amesbury months after the incident and died inhospital in July after coming into contact with a perfume bottle believed tohave been used in the attack on the Skripals and then discarded.

Her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, was also exposed to the same nerve agent but was treated and discharged.

Two Russian nationals have been accused of travelling to the UK to try tomurder Mr Skripal with Novichok.

Evidence gathered by intelligence agencies led the Government to conclude that the men were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU.

The two suspects, known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.

A counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle, which Ms Sturgess handled, isthought to have contained the substance.