Dawn Sturgess public inquiry to be held into Novichok death

A public inquiry will be held into the death of Dawn Sturgess who was poisoned by Novichok in Amesbury, Wiltshire, the home secretary says.

Priti Patel said Ms Sturgess's inquest could be converted into a public inquiry to examine any Russian involvement in her death in 2018.

Ms Patel said she hoped the inquiry would "bring comfort" to the family.

Ms Sturgess, 44, died after she and her partner, Charlie Rowley, came into contact with the deadly nerve agent.

Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley became seriously ill due to contact with Novichok on a discarded perfume bottle and she died in hospital on 8 July.

Their poisoning followed the attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and ex-police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year when members of a Russian military intelligence squad were believed to have smeared Novichok on Mr Skripal's door handle.

All three survived, as did Mr Rowley.

The inquiry would be likely to be held in both Salisbury Guildhall and at venues in London, and be established "as soon as is reasonably possible in 2022", Ms Patel said.

In a letter to coroner Baroness Heather Hallett, Ms Patel wrote: "I am mindful of the time that has already passed since Ms Sturgess' death and her family's understandable wish for the investigation to be completed as soon as the circumstances of a highly complex and sensitive investigation allow.

"I support your view that the inquiry should be timely and hope that a proportionate, independent investigation will allow that to be met."

She said of Ms Sturgess' family: "I hope this inquiry will bring comfort to them through a greater understanding of the circumstances of Ms Sturgess' death and recognise the bravery and resilience of those who responded."

The Metropolitan Police have identified three suspects wanted in connection with the poisonings: Denis Sergeev, Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga, who used the aliases Sergey Fedotov, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov respectively while in the UK.

Police have appealed to the public for any information about how the perfume bottle came to be found three months later eight miles (12.8km) from Salisbury.

Officers believe the three suspects identified so far are in Russia, with which the UK has no extradition treaty, meaning there is little prospect of them being brought to the UK to face justice.