Novichok PHE litter guidance remains in Salisbury south Wiltshire

Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed that the 'if you didn’t drop it, then don’t pick it up' advice should still be followed in Salisbury and the surrounding areas, after the dangers caused by the nerve agent back in 2018.

Alderbury Parish Council however claims the "harsh restriction" imposed by PHE is hindering the village's chance in being crowned 'Best Kept Village'.

Novichok in Salisbury and litter

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to Novichok in March 2018, and a few months later Dawn Sturgess died after sampling perfume that turned out to be the deadly chemical.

While the PHE guidance is directed towards Salisbury and Amesbury - the two areas the victims were affected - Wiltshire Council previously said it is supporting communities to carry out organised litter picks in areas covered by Salisbury, Amesbury, and the wider southern and south west Wiltshire area boards.

Village under 'harsh restriction'

Alderbury Parish Council clerk Steve Milton said the common feeling in the village is the nerve agent risk should be confined to Salisbury and Amesbury only, so villagers can litter pick as normal.

He said: "Alderbury Parish Council is dismayed that the PHE guidance has not yet been reviewed.

"Until the advice changes, we cannot allow our eager team of volunteers to pick up litter contrary to PHE advice."

'Rethinking and refining'

Speaking about the village's competitive streak, Mr Milton said: "Alderbury Parish Council has a proud record in the Best Kept Village Competition run by the CPRE [Campaign to Protect Rural England] and, as past winners, we have decided to enter again this year.

"We hope the judges will take into account the fact the village is under this harsh restriction."

Mr Milton added: "We urge PHE England to rethink and refine its advice on litter and at the very least, restrict the areas where the ban applies to Salisbury and Amesbury – places where evidence of Novichok has been proven."

'If you didn’t drop it, then don’t pick it up'

Despite the low likelihood of discovering something new in relation to the Novichok poisonings, health experts are mindful of the consequences of picking up contaminated litter.

A PHE spokesperson said: “As a precaution, PHE continues to advise the public not to pick up any items. The advice remains 'if you didn’t drop it, then don’t pick it up'."

The agency added the advice is under review and will be updated in due course.

Litter picking continues

Wiltshire councillor for Alderbury and Whiteparish Richard Britton said despite the guidance, residents and community groups have continued litter picking over the last couple of years, and he hopes a risk assessment will be completed "as quickly as possible" so the guidance can be altered.

Councillor Britton said: "PHE has, I understand, undertook to review their guidance but, outrageously, it says the process is going to take several weeks.

"It seems to me that the matter had dropped off its radar but now it has been brought to light again I would have thought that they would be able to due their risk assessment quickly – especially since there has never been any suggestion that the Novichok perpetrators ever left Salisbury to visit any of the surrounding villages.

"Many individual residents and community groups have been litter picking pretty much non-stop over the last couple of years. And the villages I represent are all gearing up for their traditional spring clean events and many are entering the best kept village competition."

Villages at 'a great disadvantage' in competitions

"It will put villages at a great disadvantage if they decide they can’t litter pick because of the PHE extant guidance. Added to which litter picking is often a great community event bringing the village together and taking pride in the appearance of the place where they live," Cllr Britton added.

"People are voting with their feet and continue to work to keep their village tidy, and although it seems to me that any possible risk has long since passed I can’t issue any formal statement which advocates going against published official guidance.

"The very least PHE can do is get on and do their due diligence and risk assessments as quickly as possible."

Should the guidance remain in Salisbury?

When asked whether he thought the advice should remain in place in Salisbury, the city's mayor John Walsh said: "While I would love to be able to pick up litter which I spot while going round our beautiful city, I think we must continue to obey the instructions of the PHE to only pick up litter we drop.

"We cannot run the risk of anyone else suffering the same fate as Dawn Sturgess."

Cllr Walsh had previously urged residents to take their litter home after outings, as there had been a “huge increase” in rubbish left in city parks and roadsides following the previous lockdown.

"Thanks to the hard work of our city council staff and the fact that 98 per cent of our citizens do not drop litter means Salisbury remains largely litter-free," the mayor added.

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