Skripal doc 'removed for asking questions'

Consultant spoke to poisoned Yulia

- ADAM ASPINALL

A HOSPITAL consultant has told an inquiry he was removed from the treatment of Yulia Skripal after asking her questions about how she became ill.

Dr Stephen Cockcroft was the ICU consultant who treated novichok victims Yulia and dad Sergei in the first 24 hours after they arrived at Salisbury Hospital on March 4, 2018, the Sturgess Inquiry heard yesterday.

The former spy and his daughter are believed to have been poisoned after Russian military intelligence officers smeared the nerve agent on Mr Skripal's door handle in the Wiltshire city.

Dr Cockcroft told the hearing his initial working diagnosis was that they had suffered a drugs overdose.

He said Salisbury had suffered an unusually high number of drug over-dose patients in the months preceding the incident.