WILTSHIRE Police chief constable Catherine Roper has apologised for mistakes made by the force following the publication of the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry report.

Roper reiterated the force’s condolences to Sturgess’s family, acknowledging the years they have waited for answers since her death in July 2018.

She said Wiltshire Police had contributed to their distress by wrongly describing Sturgess as a known drug user – a claim she said “was not correct and should never have happened”.

The Inquiry also highlighted concerns about Wiltshire Police’s handling of the second Novichok incident, including interactions with other emergency responders.

Roper said the force had been “fully committed” to learning lessons, both from the Inquiry and from a 2020 College of Policing national review.

During the hearings, the force identified 21 areas for improvement, including:

• Faster sharing of specialist Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) advice with frontline officers.

• Enhanced joint training and more formal multi-agency debriefs.

• Recording emergency-services decision-making “huddles” on body-worn video for transparency.

• Ensuring only accurate and objective information is recorded in police files.

She said Wiltshire Police fully accepts all the Inquiry chair’s recommendations and will incorporate them into ongoing organisational learning.

National policing bodies will also review the wider lessons outlined in the report.

Roper acknowledged the profound impact the Novichok poisonings had on Sergei and Yulia Skripal, former Det Sgt Nick Bailey, Sturgess’s partner Charlie Rowley and the wider Salisbury and Amesbury communities.

She thanked officers, staff, volunteers and partner agencies for their work during the incidents and urged residents to continue engaging with the force through its Independent Advisory Groups.