Salisbury to host From Russia With Love concert

Posters advertising the event have been displayed metres away from Salisbury Cathedral

A church in Salisbury is hosting a concert entitled From Russia With Love, months after the city was struck by the Novichok nerve agent attack.

Named after the James Bond tale about a secret Russian crime organisation, the event is being promoted by posters with the country's flag and a love heart.

Featuring classical music from Russian composers, the concert is taking place at St Martin's church on 13 October.

Event organiser Gill Bolton said: "It's a pity we chose that title."

The concert is being held less than two miles from the home of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and not far from the bench where he and his daughter Yulia collapsed in March.

The title was picked because pianists will be performing the work of composers including Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich.

Ms Bolton said the programme of concerts had been planned a year in advance and was not in response to recent events.

The concert is being held not far from the bench where Yulia Skripal and her father Sergei collapsed in March

"It's not really anything to do with the Skripals and that sort of thing," she said.

"The design was created by someone who did not live in the area but who took inspiration from the James Bond story of the same name."

She said she was "not best pleased" with the poster design but said no-one had complained.

"I hope people have looked beyond the title and instead look at the programme of music."