The Russian spy fighting for his life after being exposed to an unknown substance in a Salisbury street, could have been targeted with a nerve agent similar to the one used to assassinate a North Korean dissident last year, experts have said. Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, fell ill in a shopping centre in Salisbury on Sunday afternoon, following a suspected assassination attempt. The pair were rushed to Salisbury District Hospital, where a major incident was declared, amid fears that the mysterious substance involved could result in further casualties. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former commander of the British Army’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear regiment, said the attack had all the hallmarks of a toxic airborne nerve agent. Yulia Skripal was on holiday visiting her father when they both collapsed in a Salisbury street One theory being explored by counter terrorism experts is that the substance was contained in an aerosol that was sprayed in the faces of Mr Skripal and his daughter. Officials have said there is no danger to the wider public, but have warned emergency workers who attended the scene, to be wary if they develop itchy skin or eyes or suffer from breathing problems. Kim Jong Nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia Last year, Kim Jong Nam - the estranged half brother of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - was killed in an attack involving the deadly nerve agent, VX. Mr de Bretton-Gordon, who is now chief executive of Avon Protection Systems, told the Telegraph: “I certainly don’t think it’s a radiological isotope like polonium-210 that we saw with, Alexander Litvinenko, mainly because it takes considerable time to take effect. “With Litvinenko it wasn’t obvious for two or three days. It would appear that whatever they took or were given or were attacked with, is rather quicker than that.” Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned by a radioactive isotope Credit: PA Eyewitnesses reported seeing Mr Skripal holding his hands in the air and shaking violently after he collapsed. Mr de Bretton-Gordon said: "The shaking hands, and also I have also seen it described as him appearing to be frozen, that is sort of what nerve agents do, because they destroy your nerves.” He also said the precautions taken by police, including the use of protection suits, is what would be expected, if they thought they were dealing with a toxin or nerve agent. Kim Jong Nam was assassinated with the nerve agent VX Kim Jong Nam was killed last February at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, when two women approached him and smeared cloths soaked with VX nerve agent across his face. The fast acting toxin began to attack his nervous system and despite being able to alert officials, he was dead within 20 minutes. VX, which is the most deadly of all nerve agents, was first developed in the 1950s and is a tasteless and odorless liquid, which can be fatal for humans on skin contact. It penetrates the skin and disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses, leading to a loss of consciousness, paralysis and eventually fatal respiratory failure. But other deadly toxins including the likes of Anthrax and Sarin, will be being tested for. A police tent covers the spot where Sergei Skripal and his daughter collapsed in Salisbury Credit: AP Anthrax, which is an infection caused by a bacteria, is invisible and odourless and can cause a painful death if inhaled into the lungs. In less concentrated doses it can cause severe itchiness and shortness of breath. Emergency workers, including the police who attended Mr Skripal, were warned be alert if they developed either of these conditions. Sarin, which was originally developed in Germany in the 1930s as a pesticide, is used in chemical warfare as a nerve agent. It can be absorbed through the skin, or by breathing it in and exposure to large amounts can lead to a painful death. People exposed to lower doses may experience eye pain , blurred vision, chest tightening, rapid breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
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