Imogen James
Live reporter

Onto the circumstances and cause of Dawn's death now.

Andrew O'Connor, the inquiry lawyer, says she suffered from heart failure because of the Novichok poison.

When paramedics arrived they performed CPR and managed to re-start her heart. She was taken to hospital, he says, but the damage that was done "gradually developed and worsened".

In the end, he adds, the brain injury she sustained from a lack of oxygen during the initial period was the "immediate cause" of her death.

Imogen James
Live reporter

The counsel to the inquiry speaks now of the victim, Dawn Sturgess. He says it is important the inquiry doesn't "lose sight" of her.

Tomorrow, the inquiry will hear from Sturgess' mother, Caroline, who will speak about her daughter.

He outlines more about Dawn's life - she grew up and lived almost all her life in and near Salisbury. She had "a close and supportive family and also a strong network of friends".

The inquiry will also hear from Charlie Rowley, Dawn's partner at the time of her death.

After her death, he said that she was "a lovely lady, she had a big heart".

Her mother said Dawn was the "happiest she had been for a long time" when she was with Charlie.

Charlie Rowley was also poisoned by the nerve agent and was in hospitalised.

Imogen James
Live reporter

The counsel to the inquiry is now outlining the circumstances that led to the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry, external being established.

A coroner's inquest is often set up to establish the circumstances which led to a death.

But the previous inquest into Sturgess' death was converted into an independent inquiry to allow it to have access to secret intelligence, some of which will be considered in private.

O'Connor says these documents are of "high necessity" to understand the case. He asks for the open hearings to be "as wide as possible", and for closed hearings to be "minimised".

"This inquiry... is a targeted investigation," he says, surrounding the death of Dawn Sturgess.

He tells the chair that he is performing "the role of the coroner" but with added powers.

Imogen James
Live reporter

Andrew O'Connor KC moves on to discuss the Skripal and Sturgess poisonings.

When Sturgess was poisoned four months after Sergei and Yulia Skripal, O'Connor says "the real possibility emerged that she had been caught, an innocent victim, in the crossfire of an illegal and outrageous assassination attempt".

This is up to the chair to decide, he says.

"It is not possible to inspect Dawn Sturgess' death properly, without understanding the Skripal poisoning," O'Connor adds.

There are multiple questions that need to be answered on the two cases, such as was it the same nerve agent, were there multiple containers of nerve agent, and how did it end up in Sturgess's hands, he says.

Her family are "particularly concerned" about asking whether the UK government took appropriate steps to protect Sergei Skripal from the attack, says O'Connor, and the wider public from collateral damage in the event of such an attack.

Imogen James
Live reporter

Image source, Crown Copyright

Andrew O’Connor KC, counsel to the inquiry, is on his feet.

The lawyer says the circumstances of Dawn Sturgess' death were "extraordinary".

"They were indeed unique," he adds.

He outlines Sturgess' life - she was was born in Salisbury, had three children and faced "challenges". He emphasises how she lived a normal, private life.

He says a "particularly shocking feature" of the death is that she applied the poison herself.

Sturgess was unaware of the toxicity of the liquid, which was Novichok poison.

O'Connor says the bottle contained enough poison to "kill thousands of people".

Imogen James
Live reporter

Image source, Crown Copyright

Lord Anthony Hughes is speaking now - he is chair of the inquiry and is outlining the case.

He says the death of Dawn Sturgess has "attracted rather less attention" than the March 2018 attempted poisonings of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

He says this "remains an investigation into the sudden death of an entirely private person".

He tells people in the Guildhall that this is "for a real family, all about a private tragedy, and a private loss".

You can follow proceedings now by clicking the Watch live button at the top of this page.

We are receiving the feed on a short delay for privacy and security reasons..

Dan O'Brien
Reporting from the inquiry

Stepping inside the Guildhall we’re greeted by a security check. It isn’t just a bag search, all the liquids are tested too.

To the left, the main hearing room. Rows of desks with legal teams and computers bearing the purple Dawn Sturgess Inquiry logo. The chair’s desk is lit up but the curtains are drawn - the main light provided by a grand chandelier in a room often used for happier occasions. In here you cannot use any sort of communication device.

To the right, an annex - where we are allowed devices and where I’m writing this - where we’ll see a feed of the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry a few minutes behind what happens in the room next door, which will be cut if any secret information is accidentally disclosed.

The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry is beginning - stay with us for updates.

The inquiry has just begun in Salisbury's Guildhall.

We have a team of reporters in the building, as well as writers in our London newsroom, ready to bring you the key lines.

You can follow along by clicking the Watch live button at the top of this page. As a reminder, the feed is on a short delay due to national security.

Image source, Unknown

We already know that former Russian spy Sergei and Yulia Skripal will not give live evidence to the public inquiry, due to concerns for their safety.

The Skripals, who survived the initial attack, are living somewhere in the world under protection.

Therefore the judge presiding over the inquiry, Lord Hughes of Ombersley, has ruled they do not need to appear.

Alternative evidence will be used instead, such as police interview transcripts or written testimonies from the Skripals.

As we prepare to hear from the beginning of the inquiry into Dawn Sturgess' death, the BBC has been looking back at the twists and turns of this compelling case.

Crime Next Door: The Salisbury Poisonings is available on BBC Sounds - it features an interview from former Prime Minister Theresa May, and covers the events from 2018 to now.

The new podcast will report on the inquiry proceedings as it progresses.

Dawn Sturgess – The mother of three who died after being exposed to Novichok.

Charlie Rowley – Dawn Sturgess’ partner, who was also hospitalised after exposure, but recovered.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal – Mr Skripal is a former Russian spy, who was living in the UK in 2018. He and his daughter Yulia were discovered unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on 4 March 2018. They eventually recovered from the poisoning.

Alexander Petrov - One of the two men believed to be Russian spies, who are thought to have carried out the attack in Salisbury. His real identity is suspected to be Anatoliy Chepiga.

Ruslan Boshirov - He accompanied Petrov to Salisbury. His real name is believed to be Alexander Mishkin.

Sergey Fedotov - A senior Russian agent, named in 2021 by the police as another suspect. They allege he was the on-the-ground commander. It's thought he is really Denis Sergeev.

Det Sgt Nick Bailey - The first person to enter the home of Sergei Skripal after he was found poisoned with his daughter. He too fell seriously ill but also recovered.

Lord Hughes of Ombersley – the judge overseeing the inquiry.

Image source, Metropolitan Police

Since the poisonings, Russia has denied any involvement in the incident. Its foreign ministry has described the forthcoming inquiry as a "circus".

Within a week of the attack in 2018, the UK government blamed the Russian government, and expelled Russian intelligence officers on diplomatic passports working in the country.

Two Russian nationals, who arrived in the UK under the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were named by UK counter-terrorism police as suspects in September 2018. A third suspect, using the alias Sergey Fedotov, was named by police in February 2019.

Their real identities are believed to be Anatoliy Chepiga, Alexander Mishkin and Denis Sergeev - all three men are thought to be members of the GRU, the Russian intelligence agency.

Petrov and Boshirov later appeared on state TV, where they said they had travelled to the UK as tourists. They denied any involvement in the poisonings.

The UK dismissed the interview - Downing Street described the interview as "lies and blatant fabrications".

An international arrest warrant has been issued but unless they leave Russia it is unlikely they will ever stand trial – as the Russian constitution does not allow the extradition of its citizens.

Dan O'Brien
Political reporter, BBC Wiltshire

The historical square in front of Salisbury Guildhall is used hosting a market - but today the market vans are replaced by satellite trucks and the stallholders by camera crews.

Today’s proceedings will focus on the opening statements rather than any witnesses, setting the tone and objectives of the coming weeks.

Security around the building is noticeable, but not overbearing. There are far more police officers than normal, patrolling the square and all sides of the Guildhall.

This morning’s rain has stopped and we’ve seen various legal teams arrive, heading inside the solid black doors, ready for the 11am start.

Image source, Metropolitan Police

Two Russian nationals, who arrived in the UK under the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were named by UK counter-terrorism police as suspects in the attack in September 2018.

It is thought the men are actually Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin respectively.

A third suspect, known as Sergey Fedotov, was also named by police in February 2019. He is believed to be Denis Sergeev.

All three men are thought to be members of the GRU, the Russian intelligence agency.

The Russian government has always denied involvement in the incident. Its foreign ministry has described the forthcoming inquiry as a "circus".

Despite being charged with attempted murder and other crimes by UK authorities, none of the three have been extradited, as Russia does not allow the extradition of its nationals.

Dawn Limbu
BBC News, Bristol

There will be a heightened police presence in Salisbury city centre throughout the duration of the inquiry.

Wiltshire Police say this is a "precautionary measure".

The force's Chief Constable Catherine Roper added that there is "no current intelligence to suggest there is any risk to the wider public."

Image source, Facebook

Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, was inadvertently exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok in Amesbury in June 2018.

This was four months after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal, roughly 8 miles away in Salisbury in March that year.

It is understood the nerve agent had been hidden inside a designer perfume bottle which Sturgess’ partner, Charlie Rowley, unknowingly gave to her.

She was attended to by paramedics, but died in hospital on 8 July 2018.

She was described by her family as "a gentle soul who was generous to a fault".

Image source, Reuters

Novichok is a powerful, military-grade nerve agent developed during the Soviet era.

It works by disrupting the body’s nervous system, leading to paralysis, convulsions, and in the case of Dawn Sturgess, fatal organ failure.

The chemicals are extremely effective in very small quantities.

The use of Novichok in the UK has had far-reaching consequences, not only for public safety but also for international relations.

Our reporters Dan O'Brien, Andy Howard and Duncan Kennedy are now at Salisbury Guildhall, awaiting the public inquiry which begins at 11:00 BST.

Follow this page for more updates from our team.

We’ll be providing live updates and key takeaways from each day of the hearing.

The first week of evidence will be heard at Salisbury’s Guildhall, with the first session due to start at 11:00 BST.

Today we will hear opening statements, then on Tuesday Caroline Sturgess - mother of victim Dawn Sturgess - will give evidence to the inquiry.

The rest of the week will hear from local first responders, including paramedics and Wiltshire Police, which is expected to be crucial in determining whether any steps could have prevented the tragedy.

After a week’s break, the inquiry will move to central London where it will hear details relating to the targeting of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, with evidence from government representatives.

Click the Watch live button above to watch the inquiry from 11:00, and stay with us for summaries of witness testimonies, and expert analysis.