The police officer who first came to the aid of the former Russian spy and his daughter after they were suspected of being poisoned by a nerve agent is talking to the authorities after his condition improved.<\/p>\n
The home secretary, Amber Rudd, said he remained in a serious condition in hospital in Salisbury. Speaking after getting a morning briefing from the counter-terrorist police chief in charge of the investigation, Rudd said she was \u201cmore hopeful\u201d about the officer\u2019s health than the principal victims: the former Russian double agent\u00a0Sergei Skripal<\/a>, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33.<\/p>\n In an interview with ITV\u2019s Good Morning Britain, Rudd said: \u201cI\u2019ve spoken to Mark Rowley this morning. The two targets are still in a very serious condition. The policeman is talking and is engaging, so I\u2019m more optimistic for him. But it is too early to say. This is a nerve agent. We are still treating it as very serious.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking later on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme, Rudd said the officer was not in intensive care, but his condition was serious.<\/p>\n She also suggested that experts had identified the substance involved in what she described as a \u201cvery, very serious attack\u201d. But she refused to be specific. \u201cFor now all we are going to say is that it is a nerve agent \u2026 It is very rare,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n On Wednesday Rowley said all three victims were suffering from \u201cexposure to a nerve agent\u201d.<\/p>\n Detectives believe the Skripals were specifically targeted in a deliberate act, Rowley added.<\/p>\n Rudd said detectives had divided the investigation into three separate sites: the Skripals\u2019 Salisbury home; the city\u2019s Mill pub, where they had been drinking; and the Zizzi restaurant where they had eaten before collapsing on a park bench.<\/p>\n