As the inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess at the hands of a Novichok-filled perfume bottle continues, it is revealed that the death toll could have been much higher. 

Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being exposed to the Russian nerve agent which was left in a discarded perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in July 2018.

It followed the attempted murders of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and then-police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year.

They were poisoned when members of a Russian military intelligence squad are believed to have smeared the nerve agent on Mr Skripal’s door handle.

All three survived, as did Ms Sturgess’s boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, who had unwittingly given her the bottle containing the killer nerve agent.

Mr Skripal believes Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible for poisoning him with Novichok, the inquiry heard on Monday.

The inquiry also heard how the perfume bottle carrying Novichok that fatally poisoned Ms Sturgess contained “enough poison to kill thousands of people".

Andrew O'Connor, counsel to the inquiry said: “A particularly shocking feature of Dawn’s death is that she unwittingly applied the poison to her own skin.

“She was entirely unaware of the mortal danger she faced because the highly toxic liquid had been concealed – carefully and deliberately concealed – inside a perfume bottle.

“Moreover, the evidence will suggest that this bottle – which we shall hear contained enough poison to kill thousands of people – must earlier have been left somewhere in a public place, creating the obvious risk that someone would find it and take it home.

“You may conclude, sir, that those who discarded the bottle in this way acted with a grotesque disregard for human life.”

The inquiry will also examine whether the poisoning of Ms Sturgess could have been prevented.

It was previously revealed that the Skripals would not give evidence at the inquiry amid fears for their safety.

It comes as Wiltshire Police said people in Salisbury city centre can expect to see an increased police presence for the duration of the hearing.

They added that there is “no current intelligence to suggest there is any risk to the wider public”.

The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Lord Hughes of Ombersley, opened at the Guildhall in Salisbury and will continue until December.