THE Maltings could be re-open as soon as this weekend, in a "significant milestone marking that the recovery of Salisbury is well under way".

Business owners were told on Monday night that they would soon be able to access their premises and re-stock prior to reopening, more than 11 weeks after they were forced to close.

Speaking from outside the police cordon, chairman of the Salisbury Recovery Group Alistair Cunningham said the site was now fully decontaminated and safe for the public to re-enter.

In the coming days work will be carried out by Wiltshire Council, Salisbury City Council and the Maltings Shopping Centre team to repair and clean the area prior to it re-opening, including repairing brickwork, grass-cutting and some refurbishment.

A police cordon has been in place at the Maltings since March 4, when Russian former-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were the subjects of a targeted nerve agent attack.

The bench the pair were found on has been removed and destroyed, and Mr Cunningham said there are no plans to replace it.

More to come.