WITH the anniversary of the Novichok attack fast approaching, we should still not be picking up litter. That’s the official guidance from Wiltshire Council and Public Health England.

It can hardly help the campaign to promote Salisbury as a safe destination, but the message to community groups eager to tidy up their neighbourhoods remains: “If you didn’t drop it, don’t pick it up.”

Well-meant advice to the contrary has earned one councillor a rap over the knuckles from the council’s public safety team.

On Tuesday last week Cllr Richard Britton announced to the Southern Wiltshire Area Board that there would be no centrally-promoted Spring Clean event this year because of the guidance issued after Novichok in a discarded perfume bottle poisoned Amesbury resident Charlie Rowley and killed his partner Dawn Sturgess.

Cllr Britton added that if individual villages wanted to organise their own litter-picking events, that was up to them.

The following day, Cllr Britton had to send out an apologetic email. It said: “It would appear that the council and government security departments have very confidential information which leads them to keep in place the warning to everyone in the south of the county – ‘If you didn’t drop it, don’t pick it up’ – and the strong instruction to villages is to heed that warning and do NOT undertake any litter-picking locally.

“Although this is a very negative message coming from the council I know from heated telephone conversations this morning that council officers are aware of the very real community value of locally organised litter-picking events and so I am reassured that their reiteration of their warning and their wish to deter villages from undertaking litter-picking events is based on real evidence and concerns.”

Cllr Britton and I don’t always see eye to eye. But like him, I’d have struggled to imagine any real danger of Russian poison lurking in the playgrounds of our rural villages.

Crikey, I’m still picking up the odd drinks can or plastic bottle on Harnham cricket field. But how foolish I obviously am.

The warning applies particularly to anything that could contain, or be part of a container for, liquid or gel, as well as needles or syringes.

The council’s website says the risk remains low and is under constant review.

It adds: “We really appreciate and welcome people's enthusiasm to carry out clean-ups and litter picks in their local communities and we hope that we can recommend these continuing as soon as possible.”

But last July, the head of UK Counter Terrorism policing, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, issued a warning that Novichok in a container “could last 50 years”.

So when exactly will it be safe to be public-spirited again?

Help plan city’s future

AT last! Salisbury’s Neighbourhood Plan process is getting back on track after the nerve agent disruption. People can find out more at the Guildhall at 6.30pm on February 27.

Talking about our city, so many say to me things like: “Why don’t they do so-and-so?” This is your chance to be part of the “they” and make a difference.

anneriddle36@gmail.com