England’s former chief medical officer said she had nightmares that someone had picked up the nerve agent thrown after the former spy was poisoned.

In March 2018, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by Novichok in Salisbury.

Following the assassination attempt in July of that year, 44-year-old Don Sturgess died from exposure to a chemical weapon that had been left in a discarded perfume bottle.

Inquest into Ms Sturges’ death heard When Dame Sally Davis learned that “Russian agents were involved” in the incident she became concerned that someone would get away with Novichok.

In her witness statement during the interrogation of Francesca Whitelaw Casey, Dame Sally said she was “concerned about the disposal by foreign agents of any residual nerve agent”.

He also said he had expressed his concerns during at least one meeting before being reassured that police were searching for a discarded vial, including in the river in Salisbury, and the Environment Agency, which was concerned about “unusual numbers of dead fish”. The monitor will be visible in the river.

He added, “This led me to later say publicly that no one should pick up anything that they did not drop.”

Dame Sally said she later attended a meeting where concerns about the statement and whether it would “fear the public” were raised.

She said the discussion ended with the agreement that she was independent and experienced and could say what mattered to her, but added that the only record of this statement was her own statement in September when she gave a statement in March. The advice given was cited.

However, Jesse Nicholls, lawyer for Ms Sturgess’s family, said Dame Sally had said she had publicly advised him “because it clearly should have happened but it didn’t”.

He replied: “No, you’re trying to suggest there was a cover-up, there was no cover-up.”

The inquiry also discussed a letter dated 16 March written by Dame Sally to Sir Jeremy Heywood, which said that on 7 March, at the request of Number 10 and the Metropolitan Police, she issued a statement with Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley In which the risk was declared. Public health as a result of the incident was “low based on currently available evidence”.

The inquiry is ongoing.

• Who was Dawn Sturgess and how was she poisoned?
• Theresa May says it is ‘impossible’ for Novichok victims to get justice

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