TODAY finally sees the evidence sessions begin as part of the inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, more than six years after the devastating attacks in Salisbury.

The 44-year-old died in 2018 having been poisoned by Novichok which was present on a discarded perfume bottle. 

It followed the attempted murder of Mr Skripal, his daughter Julia and ex-police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in March that year.


READ MORE:


The Journal has spoken to business owners who traded through the time of the nerve agent attack.

Richard Wheeler runs B&R Textiles, located just steps away from where the Skripals were found after they had been poisoned with Novichok. He recalls the day he discovered what had happened in Salisbury.

Richard said: “I got to work and parked where we always park and noticed I couldn’t come around the front. No one had got to work yet so I said we would meet for a coffee at Costa.

“We went and came back – the police couldn’t tell me what was going on but said we wouldn’t get in the shop today."

It was not until later that day he found out why he could not access his shop.

"The local news came on and my wife said – isn’t that your shop?

Richard's shop is located just steps away from where the Skripals were foundRichard's shop is located just steps away from where the Skripals were found (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography) “That’s the first I knew it was a poisoning.

“It did affect us, but after the first few days we did manage to negotiate with police to let people in the back, so we crawled along."

After the Maltings was cleaned and reopened in May of the same year, as far as Richard understood, no traces of Novichok had been found in the shopping centre.

Michael Rose didn't feel as thought it affected his tradeMichael Rose didn't feel as though it affected his trade (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography)

Michael Rose, of Roses of Salisbury, said “I don’t think it affected us” but added that he noticed that “it stopped Americans and tourists coming to Salisbury.”

Gary Hughes from Gilberts Butchers said: “It didn’t affect my business – there seemed to be more people coming into town as they wanted to be nosy and see what’s going on.

Gary Hughes noticed more people coming into townGary Hughes noticed more people coming into town (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography) “I’m surprised it [the inquiry] has taken so long.”

Former stallholder John Bourne sold artificial flowers at the market in 2018 and found himself in the middle of the early investigations after serving Sergei Skripal.

“He had come in to buy some flowers off me on the Saturday before the poisoning”, he said.

"When he was poisoned, police thought he had picked up the poison from some artificial flowers. They thought his daughter brought them in from Russia to put onto her mother’s grave”.

The Skripals were said to have laid the flowers in London Road cemetery hours before they fell ill.

READ MORE: Theresa May says justice 'unlikely' at Dawn Sturgess Inquiry

A police officer on the investigation recognised the flowers to be John’s, and when investigators came to speak to him, he was able to show them that they were the same ones he sold.

John Bourne sold flowers to Sergei before he was poisonedJohn Bourne sold flowers to Sergei before he was poisoned (Image: John Bourne) When he was shown a picture of Sergei, John could remember the interaction because Sergei had tried to give him too much money for his purchase.

He said: “He gave me £40 for £18 and I went ‘no, you gave me too much’ – otherwise I wouldn’t have even remembered him. It was just that one thing – and him not being able to speak English.”

Investigators asked John if Sergei had been with anyone else, but he had not.

Stallholder Amanda Barlow said: “I remember being interviewed on the Tuesday morning, and I didn’t know what had happened. There were helicopters going round, but I had no idea what was going on.”

Amanda Barlow had 'no idea what was going on' at firstAmanda Barlow had 'no idea what was going on' at first (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography)

Makeup stall owner Brian Askew said: “The footfall of people probably went down by about 15 or 20 per cent.

“They didn’t know what it was – no one knew how bad it was. They said if we touched it, we would be dead.

READ MORE: Skripals will not appear at Dawn Sturgess Public Inquiry

“The council helped us with rent – they halved it to help us. We needed money to help us get through the hard times. Business now is as strong as it’s ever been. We went from that, to Covid, to up-doing the [paving] blocks – now hopefully we’re free!"

Brian Askew runs the makeup stall in the marketBrian Askew runs the makeup stall in the market (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography)

Brian’s business also sells perfume, which he referenced to the Journal, because when the nerve agent was found discarded in Salisbury, it was discovered in a perfume bottle.

He added: “We did have people joking ‘have you got any Novichok for sale there?’"

Simon Wells of New Life said: “There was all this press and Sky News coming round – I think it made it worse than it actually was.

Simon Wells thought that the press coverage made it 'seem worse'Simon Wells thought that the press coverage made it 'seem worse' (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography)

“I think when there’s an incident somewhere, it ends up being the safest place. It’s the same as incidents anywhere – somethings gone on, the place is swamped with police so it’s the safest place to be.”

In terms of the inquiry, he added: “I don’t think there’s much you can get out of it really.”

Carl Doran, of the Happy Fruiter, added: “I just don’t understand why they’re dragging it back up.”

He wants to know what the money set aside following the attack has been spent on in the city.

Carl Doran wants to know what the money set aside following the attack has been spent onCarl Doran wants to know what the money set aside following the attack has been spent on (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography)

The public inquiry begins in Salisbury on Monday, October 14 at the Guildhall.