UK police hunt culprit in Russian spy's poisoning

Police have cordoned off an Italian restaurant and a pub that Skripal and his daughter are believed to have visited

British detectives yesterday scrambled to find the source of the nerve agent used in the attempted murder of a Russian former double-agent and his daughter. Britain's top domestic security official described the attack as a "brazen and reckless act" that will be answered without hesitation when the facts become clear.

Sergei Skripal, 66, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, is in a critical condition in hospital along with his daughter Yulia after they collapsed on a bench outside a shopping centre on Sunday.

Sergei Skripal. Pics/AFP and AP

A policeman also fell ill after coming to their aid, but is showing signs of recovery, according to interior minister Amber Rudd."The two targets are still in very serious condition, the policeman is talking and is engaging so I'm more optimistic for him, but it's too early to say," she said. On Wednesday, British police confirmed that a nerve agent was used and that their probe was now an attempted murder investigation.

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