The Deputy Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police has confirmed two British nationals, named locally as Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, remain in a critical condition in hospital following contact with an ‘unknown substance’ which has sparked a major incident.
Paul Mills, who gave a statement at a press conference this afternoon, said that paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service were called to an address in Muggleton Road, Amesbury on the morning of Saturday 30 June after a woman collapsed at the property.
They were called back later the same day, supported by colleagues from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, following reports a man had also fallen unwell in the same location.
“The woman, aged 44, and the man, aged 45, who are both local to the Wiltshire area and are British nationals, are currently receiving treatment for suspected exposure to an unknown substance at Salisbury District Hospital. They remain in a critical condition”, he said.
“It was initially believed that the two patients fell ill after possibly using drugs from a contaminated batch. However, further testing is now ongoing to establish the substance which led to these patients becoming ill. At this stage it is not yet clear if a crime has been committed.”
The Counter Terrorism Policing Network are involved in the investigation.
A number of scenes, believed to be the areas the individuals frequented in the period before they fell ill, remain cordoned off in and around the Amesbury and Salisbury area as a precautionary measure.
These include:
• Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury
• A property at John Baker House, Rolleston Street, Salisbury
• A property on Muggleton Road, Amesbury
• Boots the Chemist, Stonehenge Walk, Amesbury
• Amesbury Baptist Centre on Butterfield Drive, Amesbury
No-one else is receiving treatment as a result of this incident.
