Novichok assassination bid ‘could have killed 4,000 Brits’
The substance inside the perfume bottle used by Russian spies could have caused "a significant loss of life"
THE dose of the nerve agent used by Russian spies in the Salisbury attack could have killed up to 4,000 Brits, it was last night revealed.
The amount of Novichok in the perfume bottle used by the Skripals' poisoners was enough to cause "a significant loss of life", a security official told The Times.
The startling revelation came after a British diplomat today accused Russia of "playing dice with the people of Salisbury" and "working in a parallel universe" during a ferocious UN stand-off.
Last night Britain's spy chief vowed revenge on Russia over the attacks.
Jeremy Fleming said GCHQ would "deploy the full range of tools" against the "brazen Kremlin" to counter the threat of Vladimir Putin's regime.
It also emerged that on the day the Skripals were poisoned, police cordoned off a playground mere metres from Sergei Skripal's home after a neighbour reported two "suspicious-looking men" loitering.
The UN Security Council showdown came as Russia blasted Downing Street for stoking "anti-Russian hysteria" in a bad-tempered meeting this afternoon.
Earlier Theresa May issued a joint statement with Donald Trump, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau in the wake of new developments in the Novichok scandal.
They said: "We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reiterate our outrage at the use of a chemical nerve agent, known as Novichok, in Salisbury on March 4.
"We welcome the progress made in the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and take note of the attempted murder charges brought yesterday against two suspects.
"We have full confidence in the British assessment that the two suspects were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU, and that this operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level.
"We have already taken action together to disrupt the activities of the GRU through the largest ever collective expulsion of undeclared intelligence officers.
"Yesterday's announcement further strengthens our intent to continue to disrupt together the hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks on our territories, uphold the prohibition of chemical weapons, protect our citizens and defend ourselves from all forms of malign state activity directed against us and our societies."
Britain called a crunch meeting of the Security Council today to officially announce the latest findings to our allies and rivals.
Putin's diplomats were told to their faces that their boss bears the ultimate responsibility for the attempted hit on ex-spy Sergei Skripal.
UK envoy Karen Pierce blasted: "We have clear evidence of Russian state involvement in what happened in Salisbury.
"This is reckless involvement, endangering the lives of many citizens. They played dice with the lives of the people of Salisbury."
She added: "There is an established pattern of malign Russian behaviour perpetrated by military and intelligence services overseas.
"They live in a parallel universe where the normal rules of international affairs are inverted.
"We need to shine a light on the use of state agencies to undermine the rule of law."
Russian representative Vasiliy Nebenzya responded with a long rant accusing Britain of making up the evidence for the Putin regime's responsibility.
He said: "I'm not going to go through the whole cocktail of unfounded and mendacious claims.
"London needs this story for just one purpose - to unleash a disgusting anti-Russia hysteria and to involve other countries in this hysteria.
"The world of delirium and fake news is quite enough to issue a verdict and even start punishment."
US envoy Nikki Haley expressed support for Britain, saying: "This is a day for explanations from Russia, and solidarity to our colleagues from the United Kingdom."
Yesterday, an official from the Russian embassy was summoned to the Foreign Office and given a dressing-down over the attack.
But today's showdown was even more dramatic because it took place in public and in front of TV cameras.
Britain drew support from other countries including the US and France, both permanent members of the Security Council.
Other members of the council allied to the UK include the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden.
All five countries expelled Russian spies in the wake of the attack on Salisbury in March this year.
Yesterday security officials and Theresa May named the chief suspects as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.
The pair - believed to be officials in the GRU military intelligence agency - are accused of smuggling Novichok into Britain in a perfume bottle and smearing it over Mr Skripal's door handle.
The former double agent, his daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey all fell gravely ill after being exposed to the nerve agent.
And months later, mum Dawn Sturgess, from nearby Amesbury, died when she sprayed liquid from the discarded bottle on herself.
Russia has repeatedly denied any responsibility for the attempted hit and mocked Britain instead of answering the accusations.
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