Police investigating the nerve agent poisoning of a former Russian spy have been told they do not live in the area and are “overreacting”.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found collapsed on a bench in Salisbury city center after being exposed to Novichok in 2018.

Officers found out who they were by using Google to search Mr Skripal’s name, the inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess was told.

An April 2021 email from Wiltshire Police Inspector Gill Hughes said the national security unit Special Branch was “very dismissive” of information provided about the poisoning of Mr Skripal by the force’s control room, the inquest was told .

Wiltshire Police was also told by counter-terrorism police that it was “not aware” that Mr Skripal was being held in Salisbury and was “taking no further action”.

The inquest, which is being held in London, was called to examine the death of Ms Sturgess, who was poisoned with the nerve agent unwittingly given to her by her boyfriend Charlie Rowley.

Earlier, another officer, Police Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was poisoned by the nerve agent, told the inquest that Novichok left him “hot” and “terrified”.

It was contaminated after the nerve agent was smeared on the doorknob of former Russian spy Mr Skripal in Salisbury in March 2018.

Questioning Mr Bailey about his recollection of events, inquest barrister Francesca Whitelaw said: “Is it fair to say that the poisoning had a very significant mental and physical impact on you?”

Opening his evidence, Mr Bailey said: “My memory of the events of March 2018 is hazy at best.

“I spent a lot of time dealing with it when it happened and dealing with the aftermath, processing it, and I got to a point where the only way to move on from it was to stop thinking about that and close it.

“So it’s been a while since I had to go back to those events – so yes, my memory of the incident isn’t the best.”

Mr Bailey recalled a colleague calling the control room to say “a Russian spy has been poisoned”.

“It’s not something I’ve heard before and it’s not something I thought I’d ever hear again,” he said.

“It was a bizarre incident.

“I remember thinking ‘I’ll never hear that phrase on a Wiltshire police radio again.’

Mr Bailey was then asked to recall entering Mr Skripal’s address, detailing everything he touched in the house.

He also spoke of how his symptoms worsened overnight after being poisoned.

He said: “Overnight I would describe it as much worse.

“I came down at about five in the morning because I was a bit scared and my vision was impaired.

“Once I turned on the lights, everything was crystal clear and jerky instead of a smooth motion of looking around.

“It was almost in the frames – it was pretty scary.”

The chairman of the inquest, Lord Hughes, concluded Mr Bailey’s evidence by saying: “I am well aware that you had to relive a very bad experience but it was necessary and I thank you for doing it.”

The investigation continues.