A POLICE source has said officers have identified suspects in connection with the Novichok attack in Salisbury.

The source with knowledge of the investigation reportedly told the Press Association: “Investigators believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack through CCTV and have cross-checked this with records of people who entered the country around that time. They (the investigators) are sure they (the suspects) are Russian.”

The Metropolitan Police, who are leading the investigation, have not yet confirmed the news.

The breakthrough comes on the day of the inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess, 44, who died in hospital earlier this month after coming into contact with an object contaminated with the nerve agent. Her partner Charlie Rowely, 45, was also left in a critical condition after coming into contact with the same Novichok used on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March.

Investigators are working to the theory that the substance was in a discarded perfume bottle found by Dawn and Charlie in a park or somewhere in Salisbury city centre and Ms Sturgess sprayed Novichok straight on to her skin, the source said.

Counter-terrorism detectives revealed last week they had found a small bottle containing Novichok at Mr Rowley’s home in Muggleton Road, Amesbury.

Public Health England has said the risk to the public remains low but continued to “strongly advise” not to pick up any unknown “strange items” such as syringes, needles, cosmetics or similar objects made of materials such as metal, plastic or glass.