Salisbury poisoning victim Sergei Skripal believes Vladimir Putin personally ordered the Novichok attack on him and his daughter Yulia, the former spy has told the inquiry into Dawn Sturgess ’s death.

As well as with the aim of helping the family “grieve the loss of their loved one, and come to terms with her death”, barrister Michael Mansfield KC warned that openness in the inquiry will be “of great importance” in countering the “huge amount” of Russian disinformation about Salisbury.

Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal believes Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his Novichok poisoning, an inquiry into the death of a woman who was unwittingly poisoned by the nerve agent was told on Monday.