The former home of an ex-Russian spy poisoned by Novichok has been purchased by Wiltshire County Council.
Sergei Skripal’s two-bedroom Salisbury residence, which has been scrubbed clean of the nerve agent, has been sold to the authority for £260,000.
The present-day value of the house is almost £390,000, but the Land Registry shows the council bought the house for the same price Mr Skripal paid for it in August 2011.
The council will now use the house under the’shared ownership’ scheme. It offers the property to residents on a basis of ‘an agreed market value.
After the chemical Novichok, a military-grade chemical that is highly toxic to the human body was applied on their front doors, Yulia and Mr Skripal were found lying on a bench near the city’s centre.
Sergei Skripal’s two-bedroom Salisbury residence, which has been scrubbed clean of the nerve agent, has been sold to Wiltshire County Council for £260,000
Sergei Skripal (Pictured), and Yulia Skripal (Pictured), were discovered slumped on a Salisbury City Centre bench last year, having been poisoned with the nerve agent that had been sprayed onto the front doorknob.
Police officer Nick Bailey was seriously hurt and Charlie Rowley, Salisbury resident, were both killed in the attack. Dawn Sturgess (44), died following an accidental spraying of Novichok perfume on her wrist.
The suspected assassins – Russian intelligence officers Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin – were caught on CCTV as they travelled from Moscow to the Wiltshire cathedral city.
Denis Sergeev (a senior Russian agent) was thought to have been the third suspect. After the failed assassination attempt, all three ran back to Russia.
The property was returned to Mr Skripal. However, Wiltshire Council declined to confirm if the sale took place with his consent and if he will receive the proceeds.
It was applied to the property’s front doorknob (pictured). They were seen on CCTV cameras in Salisbury that day, as well as their identities Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov.
They stated: “We can’t divulge personal data about anyone to a third-party. That would violate the data protection legislation.
Although the council stated that it would buy the property on the third anniversary, it took several months before the sale was finalized.
After the fatal nerve agent was found in the letters, the authorities cleared the house and declared it safe.
Yesterday, Phil Alford (Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member For Housing) said: “Following agreement by DEFRA, we have previously competed for the transfer 47 Christie Miller Road Salisbury. It will now be available as a community home.
Salisbury property was cleaned out by military units for several months. The roof had to be removed in 2019. It was returned to Mr Skripal in 2019.
It will be renovated and brought back to use soon under our shared ownership scheme. The local residents will then be offered a market-value price.
“We are pleased to announce that the property, which is located in a beautiful area of town, will be a home for a family that can create happy memories.
“The Christie Miller Road community has gone through a lot in the past few years. We politely request that their privacy be respected to allow them to live peacefully.”