The British prime minister Theresa May visited Salisbury on Monday, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian Novichok poisoning attack.
Former Russian spy Sergie Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, were targeted by Russian foreign intelligence officers, their home in Wiltshire was poisoned with Novichok.
Russia’s GRU intelligence agency was blamed for the attack, which later claimed the life of Dawn Sturgess.
The Russian GRU suspects claimed on Russian TV, that they went to Salisbury to see the famous Cathedral’s “123-meter spire.” They were later proved to be lying and found out to be Russian GRU officers.
This attack is thought to have been the fist ever foreign intelligence chemical nerve agent attack on British soil.
That’s Bath, not Salisbury. At least the Russian poisoning suspects could recognise the correct church spire. pic.twitter.com/moXlDioDwk
— Jim Waterson (@jimwaterson) March 4, 2019
However, despite being in Salisbury the prime minister tweeted a picture of St. John Roman Catholic Church, in Bath.
I hope that moving forward Salisbury will once again be known for being a beautiful, welcoming English city and not for the events of 4 March 2018. https://t.co/HWPYD88XVo
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) March 4, 2019
In the tweet May said, “I hope that moving forward Salisbury will once again be known for being a beautiful, welcoming English city and not for the events of 4 March 2018.”
Twitter erupted with replies to her gaff, Jim Waterson, the Guardian media editor said, “At least the Russian poisoning suspects could recognise the correct church spire.”
Jane Adams said, “Well, it does say moving forward. It appears to be moving forward in a northwesterly direction for approximately 39 miles.”
