Detective who nearly died of poisonings in Salisbury Novichok abandons force

A police officer who fell seriously ill after the Salisbury Novichok attack has left the force because “he can no longer do the job.”

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey said on Twitter that he “ had to admit defeat ” and is leaving the force after 18 years, adding that the poisoning in March 2018 “ took a lot from me. ”

He was the first person to enter Sergei Skripal’s home after the former Russian double agent and his daughter Yulia were found poisoned on a park bench in the city.

The Wiltshire police officer was exposed to Novichok after entering the property, where the deadly nerve agent had been smeared on a door handle.

In a series of tweets this afternoon, Mr. Bailey said: ‘After 18 years in the police force, I had to admit defeat and accept that I can no longer do the job.

“I wanted to be a police officer since I was a teenager, I couldn’t think of doing anything else, that’s why it makes me so sad.

Like most police officers, I have experienced my fair share of trauma, violence, discomfort, injury, and pain.

‘We take care of that, take it on the chin and move on because that’s our job. But we are still human and the impact this has should not be underestimated.

“ The events in Salisbury in March 2018 took a lot out of me and while I have tried so hard to make it work, I know I will not find peace as long as I remain in that environment.

“The police will remain in my heart and I am honored and privileged to have been a part of the Wiltshire Police.”

Bailey spent two weeks in intensive care after he was poisoned, during which time his wife and two daughters feared he would die.

He made a third attempt to return to work in June of this year and described how he was “ unable to deal with being in a police environment ” after efforts to return in September 2018 and January 2019.

Wiltshire Police Chief Kier Pritchard wished Mr. Bailey the “greatest success for the future” after his retirement, adding that “the shocking and unprecedented events changed his life and that of his family in significant ways” .

He added: ‘It is impossible for any of us to fully understand the impact this event has had on Nick and his family, and the sacrifices they made to try to come to terms with the situation.

Nick’s commitment to service has never been questioned and this was further illustrated by him making several attempts to return to full function.

“It represents the dedication and determination that we all want to see in police officers across the country.”

Wiltshire Police Federation President Mark Andrews called Bailey a “valued colleague” and said “all police officers he has come in contact with through his service will miss him.”

He added: ‘What happened to Nick is unprecedented and I hope it never happens to any other police officer or any other British citizen.

‘I can only hope that one day the offenders are brought to justice and Nick can rest knowing that.

“I know it has been physically and mentally difficult, but Nick showed the real stamina of an excellent police officer by continuing to fight.”

The Skripals survived the attack, but the incident later claimed Dawn Sturgess’s life after she came into contact with a perfume bottle believed to have been used in the attack and later discarded.

His partner, Charlie Rowley, became seriously ill but recovered.

Two Russian nationals have been charged with traveling to the UK to attempt to assassinate Skripal with Novichok.

The suspects, known by the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement, with President Vladimir Putin claiming the two suspects were civilians.

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