Family of novichok victim raise concerns at lack of inquiry start date

Dawn Sturgess died on 8 July 2018 after her partner, Charlie Rowley, found a fake perfume bottle containing novichok. Photograph: Metropolitan police/PA

The family of a woman killed in the Wiltshire novichok poisonings more than four years ago has expressed concern that there is still no start date for the full independent inquiry into her death despite it raising pressing national security issues.

Lawyers for relatives of Dawn Sturgess said there had been “substantial” delays and called for the preparation process to be speeded up and for extra resources to be made available if necessary.