A public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, a British woman who died after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok, is set to open this morning. Ms Sturgess, 44, tragically lost her life in July 2018 after coming into contact with the deadly chemical weapon, which had been discarded in a perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

The inquiry will examine the circumstances leading to her death and assess the broader implications surrounding the use of Novichok on British soil. Ms Sturgess was fatally poisoned just months after the attempted assassinations of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 71, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 39, who were targeted with the same nerve agent in Salisbury in March 2018. A responding police officer, Nick Bailey, was also severely affected by the exposure but survived.

The Skripals were believed to be the primary targets of the attack, which British authorities have attributed to Russian operatives. However, Ms Sturgess was an unintended victim, as the Novichok-laced perfume bottle had been discarded and later found by her partner, who unknowingly gave it to her.

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The public inquiry will aim to provide justice and answers for the Sturgess family, as well as to determine how the poison ended up in civilian hands. It is expected to hear evidence about the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding the case and will examine whether more could have been done to protect public safety.

The use of Novichok, a highly toxic nerve agent developed by Russia, on UK soil caused widespread alarm and led to a deterioration in diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia. This inquiry marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation into the aftermath of the poisonings and their wider impact on national security.

Ms Sturgess’s family and the public are hopeful the inquiry will shed light on the failings that allowed such a deadly substance to remain in circulation, leading to her untimely death.