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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/10/nerve-agent-poisoning-inquiry-spreads-to-swindon-car-seized-dawn-sturgess
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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Novichok poisonings: residents warned not to pick up 'foreign objects' | Novichok poisonings: residents warned not to pick up 'foreign objects' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| England’s chief medical adviser has ratcheted up warnings to people living in the area where one person died and another was left critically ill through exposure to the nerve agent novichok. | |
| Dame Sally Davies warned parents living in Salisbury and Amesbury to make sure their children did not pick up any objects and also told residents to steer clear of discarded items that could contain liquid or gel. | Dame Sally Davies warned parents living in Salisbury and Amesbury to make sure their children did not pick up any objects and also told residents to steer clear of discarded items that could contain liquid or gel. |
| Police and service personnel are searching for the object, believed to be a container of some sort, that Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, came into contact with before collapsing. Sturgess has died and Rowley remains critically ill. | Police and service personnel are searching for the object, believed to be a container of some sort, that Dawn Sturgess and her partner, Charlie Rowley, came into contact with before collapsing. Sturgess has died and Rowley remains critically ill. |
| Detectives are working on the basis that the couple were exposed to some sort of vessel containing the same batch of novichok used in the attack on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in March. | Detectives are working on the basis that the couple were exposed to some sort of vessel containing the same batch of novichok used in the attack on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in March. |
| Davies said: “I want to emphasise to everyone in the Salisbury and Amesbury area that nobody, adult or child, should pick up any foreign object which could contain liquid or gel, in the interests of their own safety. | Davies said: “I want to emphasise to everyone in the Salisbury and Amesbury area that nobody, adult or child, should pick up any foreign object which could contain liquid or gel, in the interests of their own safety. |
| “This in practice means do not pick up containers, syringes, needles, cosmetics or similar objects, made of materials such as metal, plastic or glass. | “This in practice means do not pick up containers, syringes, needles, cosmetics or similar objects, made of materials such as metal, plastic or glass. |
| “This is particularly important as families are starting to prepare for their children’s summer holidays and so I am asking that people are extra vigilant. To be clear: do not pick up anything that you haven’t dropped yourself.” | “This is particularly important as families are starting to prepare for their children’s summer holidays and so I am asking that people are extra vigilant. To be clear: do not pick up anything that you haven’t dropped yourself.” |
| She added: “Life continues in Salisbury and Amesbury and I want to be clear that the overall threat to the public is unchanged and remains low. I also want to highlight that those areas that have been cleaned and reopened to the public over the past few weeks are safe, and should be used normally. You do not need to seek advice from a health professional unless you are experiencing symptoms.” | She added: “Life continues in Salisbury and Amesbury and I want to be clear that the overall threat to the public is unchanged and remains low. I also want to highlight that those areas that have been cleaned and reopened to the public over the past few weeks are safe, and should be used normally. You do not need to seek advice from a health professional unless you are experiencing symptoms.” |
| While the main theory the police are following is that both Sturgess and Rowley handled a contaminated object, another possibility being considered is just one of them did so and passed it on to the other, perhaps as they held hands. Detectives are hoping that if Rowley recovers he will be able to tell them what he or Sturgess handled. | |
| The investigation has spread to another site, 40 miles from Salisbury. | The investigation has spread to another site, 40 miles from Salisbury. |
| A car was seized from a residential street in Swindon on Monday evening after the death of Sturgess. | A car was seized from a residential street in Swindon on Monday evening after the death of Sturgess. |
| Military personnel wearing gloves and gas masks were seen wrapping a white Audi in plastic, loading it on to a lorry and taking it away. | Military personnel wearing gloves and gas masks were seen wrapping a white Audi in plastic, loading it on to a lorry and taking it away. |
| The car is believed to belong to a paramedic who attended Rowley’s address when he and Sturgess collapsed. It is understood that the paramedic is fit and healthy. | The car is believed to belong to a paramedic who attended Rowley’s address when he and Sturgess collapsed. It is understood that the paramedic is fit and healthy. |
| Sarah Jones, a neighbour, said police had reassured residents that they were not in danger, but added: “I do worry. One of my children plays out. I won’t let her now.” | Sarah Jones, a neighbour, said police had reassured residents that they were not in danger, but added: “I do worry. One of my children plays out. I won’t let her now.” |
| In a tweet, Wiltshire police said: | In a tweet, Wiltshire police said: |
| We have arranged the transportation of a car from an address in Swindon this evening in relation to the on-going incident in #Amesbury. The public should not be alarmed by this. Those involved have the training & expertise to safely remove the vehicle. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/BruH9i06f9 | We have arranged the transportation of a car from an address in Swindon this evening in relation to the on-going incident in #Amesbury. The public should not be alarmed by this. Those involved have the training & expertise to safely remove the vehicle. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/BruH9i06f9 |
| Sturgess and Rowley became ill on 30 June at the latter’s home in Amesbury, 32 miles south of Swindon. Police opened a murder investigation after Sturgess died in hospital on Sunday night. | Sturgess and Rowley became ill on 30 June at the latter’s home in Amesbury, 32 miles south of Swindon. Police opened a murder investigation after Sturgess died in hospital on Sunday night. |
| The Audi is at least the third vehicle to be seized since then. On Sunday night, service personnel wearing protective gloves and breathing apparatus towed a red van away from a road in Durrington, near Amesbury. It is thought Rowley travelled in the van shortly before collapsing. | The Audi is at least the third vehicle to be seized since then. On Sunday night, service personnel wearing protective gloves and breathing apparatus towed a red van away from a road in Durrington, near Amesbury. It is thought Rowley travelled in the van shortly before collapsing. |
| A bus the couple caught from Salisbury to Amesbury was also seized and tested at the Porton Down government laboratory but declared clear of novichok. | A bus the couple caught from Salisbury to Amesbury was also seized and tested at the Porton Down government laboratory but declared clear of novichok. |
| Sturgess’s family said her death had been devastating. “Dawn will always be remembered by us as a gentle soul who was generous to a fault. She would do anything for anybody and those who knew Dawn would know that she would gladly give her last penny to somebody in need. | Sturgess’s family said her death had been devastating. “Dawn will always be remembered by us as a gentle soul who was generous to a fault. She would do anything for anybody and those who knew Dawn would know that she would gladly give her last penny to somebody in need. |
| “She had the biggest of hearts and she will be dreadfully missed by both her immediate and wider family. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to Charlie and his family and we wish Charlie a speedy recovery.” | “She had the biggest of hearts and she will be dreadfully missed by both her immediate and wider family. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to Charlie and his family and we wish Charlie a speedy recovery.” |
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