Salisbury Novichok-poisoned officer Nick Bailey quits

A police officer who was poisoned in the Salisbury Novichok attack has quit because he "can no longer do the job".

Det Sgt Nick Bailey was contaminated with the nerve agent at the home of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the targets of the poisoning operation.

After returning to duty last year, he said the aftermath took "so much from me" and "I [have] had to admit defeat".

He worked for the police for 18 years and said he was "so sad" after wanting to be an officer since his teens.

Angus Macpherson, police and crime commissioner for Wiltshire, where Det Sgt Bailey worked, said throughout his career the officer has symbolised "dedication and a sense of public duty".

And in a statement, the force said he represents the "determination that all of us want to see in police officers across the country".

Det Sgt Bailey and two Wiltshire Police colleagues were sent to Mr Skripal's home in March 2018, after the former Russian spy and his daughter, who was staying with him, were found seriously ill on a bench in Salisbury.

He was contaminated when he touched the door handle of Mr Skripal's home in the city.

The Skripals survived the attack, which prompted then Prime Minister Theresa May to tell the House of Commons the operation had "almost certainly" been approved by the Russian state.

In a series of tweets earlier, Det Sgt Bailey said the impact on him of the attack "shouldn't be underestimated".

"I wanted to be a police officer since I was a teenager, I couldn't envisage doing anything else, which is why this makes me so sad," he said.

"Like most police officers, I've experienced my fair share of trauma, violence, upset, injury and grief.

"Although I've tried so hard to make it work, I know that I won't find peace whilst remaining in that environment. For me, it's time for a change."

Mr Macpherson thanked Det Sgt Bailey for his "service and dedication to Wiltshire Police".

"Nick found himself at the centre of an international, criminal incident which not only affected his health but I am certain changed the course of his family's lives too," he said.

"The events in Salisbury and Amesbury back in 2018 remain unprecedented and Nick, himself, has found himself in a situation that no other police officer in this country has been through.

"I know that the force has offered as much welfare support to Nick as possible but I hope today brings Nick and his family some sense of closure and allows them to start to look to the future."

In the months after the attack two Russian nationals were accused of travelling to the UK to try to murder Mr Skripal with novichok.

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

Det Sgt Bailey was one of the first to be involved after the alarm about the attack was raised.

"These shocking and unprecedented events changed his life and his family's lives significantly," the force said in a statement.

"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 in trying to come to terms with the situation."

"Day in and day out, officers put themselves directly into harm's way in order to help and protect others," the statement continued.

"Nick should be incredibly proud of all that he has achieved and will always be considered to be part of the Wiltshire Police family.

"I am sure that as one chapter closes, another opportunity will open up for Nick."