THE government has pledged £1million to help Salisbury recover, as it was announced that counter-terrorism police are likely to leave the city in the next fortnight.

Speaking at a packed-out public meeting this morning, Wiltshire Council's recovery team announced that it had secured a package of £1million from central government to support business recovery, economic growth, marketing and tourism in the wake of the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter earlier this month.

And council leader Jane Scott said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had confirmed that any area outside of the existing police cordons will not pose a risk to the public.

Wiltshire Council corporate director Alistair Cunningham said Defra and the military are now involved in finding out whether any samples of the nerve agent are left at the cordoned-off scenes, and how these can be cleaned up and re-opened.

He said officers from the Metropolitan Police were coming to the end of their investigations in the city and that all sites but one would be "back with us by the end of this week".

But Baroness Scott said this did not mean the cordons would be removed, as the process of decontaminating the scenes "might take a lot more time than the investigation".

Eight businesses remain closed, and Wiltshire Council corporate director Alistair Cunningham said a further 30 had been "impacted severely" by police cordons in the city.

Baroness Scott said the £1million government boost "sounds a lot of money, but it isn't when you think of what support businesses need" and that the council will seek further financial support as recovery continues.

"It's not enough, but it's a good start and we will keep lobbying," she said.

Businesses have reported that takings are down 20 per cent, with some closest to the Maltings reporting a drop of about 90 per cent, Mr Cunningham said.

Mr Cunningham said the council have offered business rates relief and hardship funds, as well as free parking in the city, adding: "We do not want to see businesses laying people off, we want them to talk to us."

And he urged workers in the city to continue using buses and the park and ride service and "leave that parking for the shoppers."

"If it's filled up with workers from 8am to 6pm we will need to review that, because it may make the city look full but it won't help us," he said.

And Mr Cunningham said a targeted marketing campaign promoting Salisbury will begin when the final cordons are removed.

Salisbury resident Professor Derek Pheby raised concerns about how information about potential health risks had been given to the public, after officials initially said there was a low risk but issued advice for anyone who may have been contaminated almost a week later.

He said: "I'm not an expert in this field, but I do have enough knowledge to know when I'm being told nonsense, and it doesn't do much to reassure me."

Wiltshire Council's director of public health Tracy Daszkiewicz said advice to the public to clean their clothes and wipe their belongings down had been "update information".

City councillor John Walsh suggested that the next meeting be held in the evening, in a "rather bigger" location, to ensure more people could come and give their views.

Jane Scott said helping Salisbury to recover was her "personal priority, and it has been for the last three weeks".

And she said she "had to thank" the city's residents, adding: "The community spirit has been amazing. People have pulled together.

"I would not have expected anything different but I think it's great that they have fully supported everything that's been done."