Ex-spy likely poisoned at their own front door, police say

LONDON — The Russian ex-spy and his daughter left critically ill in a nerve agent attack three weeks ago were probably poisoned at the front door of their home in southwestern England, British police said Wednesday.

It was the first time police have said where they thought Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia might have been poisoned.

The highest concentration of nerve agent found so far was on the Skripals’ front door in Salisbury, and detectives plan to focus their investigation in the surrounding area, London’s Metropolitan Police force said in a statement. “At this point in our investigation, we believe the Skripals first came in contact with the nerve agent from their front door,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon said in the statement.

Police have also searched a variety of sites around Salisbury, including a pub, a restaurant and a cemetery.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said this week that the Skripals may never recover from the attack that has left them in critical condition.

May says “their condition is unlikely to change in the near future, and they may never recover fully.”

Britain has blamed Russia for the attack, triggering the expulsion of about 150 Russian diplomats from the U.K., U.S. and their Western allies. Russia has vowed to respond, but a senior diplomat said Wednesday there is no hurry to retaliate.

Russia vehemently denies Britain’s accusation that it was behind the March 4 attack.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti state news agency that Moscow is “thoughtfully and thoroughly” considering its response.