Investigators are removing the bench where poisoned former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found.

Scotland Yard said it is being taken on Friday to “preserve it as a potential crime exhibit” as part of the attempted murder probe.

Mr Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were extremely ill when they were discovered on the park bench in The Maltings shopping centre, in Salisbury, on March 4.

Salisbury incident
Police in protective suits at The Maltings shopping centre (Ben Birchall/PA)

The bench, a short walk from Zizzi restaurant and The Mill pub, which were both visited by the Skripals, has been cordoned off and covered by a tent since the incident.

The Metropolitan Police said the investigation, involving 250 counter-terror detectives is likely to take months as investigators wearing protective suits continue to search for clues.