Salisbury 'nerve agent' ambulance station decontaminated

The ambulance station in Salisbury was closed following the nerve agent attack in March

An ambulance station in Salisbury has been decontaminated and handed back to the trust that runs it following a nerve agent attack earlier this year.

The Odstock Road site had been shut since the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on 4 March.

Wiltshire Council said the recovery coordinating group (RCG) put it through "extensive" testing.

However, further work is required before it can be brought back into use.

It is the second site to be handed back following decontamination. The first was the Maltings shopping centre, which reopened last week.

Yulia and Sergei Skripal were critically ill for several weeks following the attack

Other potentially affected sites in the city, which are still being cleaned, include The Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant.

The Skripal house is still under police investigation, the council added.

Alistair Cunningham, chair of the Salisbury RCG, said it was "good news" for the city and "another positive step in the recovery programme".

"The city is returning to normal and the release of this site following The Maltings reopening last weekend is encouraging and reassuring that Salisbury is safe for visitors and local residents."

A Defra spokesperson said: "As part of our ongoing clean-up operations in Salisbury, decontamination work is now complete at the Salisbury Ambulance Station."