'Nerve agent attack on ex-Russian spy cost UK police force 7.5 million pounds'

A nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK in March cost the police force a whopping 7.5 million pounds to probe the "unprecedented incident", the police said today.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66 and his daughter Yulia, 33, were poisoned in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. The UK says Russia was behind the attack but Moscow denies involvement.

According to the region's Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson, the Wiltshire Police "came to the fore" with more than 140 officers on duty at the height of the operation.

He described it as a "massive effort" which also involved 40 other UK forces, the BBC reported.

Skripal and Yulia were poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent called Novichok.

Macpherson revealed the financial costing of 7.5 million pounds and said the figure could still rise.

He described it as a "national operation which must be paid for nationally".

"I don't want anyone to forget the undertaking of policing minister Nick Hurd when he said [the government] would meet the costs," he said.

Macpherson also thanked the people of Salisbury "for showing their resilience" while investigation and decontamination work was carried out.

Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Kier Pritchard described it as an "unprecedented incident" which saw "the very best of UK policing".

Skripal and his daughter were taken to Salisbury District Hospital after coming into contact with the nerve agent.

Wiltshire Police Detective Sergant Nick Bailey, who was one of the first on the scene, was also admitted to hospital for treatment.

While all three have since been discharged, Skripal and Yulia have been taken to an undisclosed place by British authorities.

The Maltings shopping area, where the incident took place, was closed to allow extensive decontamination work to be carried out and reopened on May 26.

Some 250,000 pounds has been given to businesses in the city affected by the aftermath, some of which saw revenues drop by 80 per cent, the report said.

The incident also led to deterioration of UK-Russia ties with both countries expelling several diplomats.