Published: October 8, 2024 — BBC Local is launching a gripping new podcast that will follow the upcoming public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess.

The mother of three from Wiltshire was killed in 2018 after coming into contact with the deadly nerve agent Novichok which was disguised as perfume.

Dawn died just four months after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury who were targeted in a suspected assassination attempt.

Hosted by BBC journalists Marie Lennon and Andy Howard, The Salisbury Poisonings podcast will be available on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Wiltshire from Friday 11 October.

Throughout October and November, the podcast will release two episodes per week, breaking down key moments from the inquiry. There will be excerpts from the hearings, analysis and context about the evidence given and exclusive interviews with key people involved in the investigation – including Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May.

The inquiry’s goal is to find out exactly what happened in Salisbury, who was responsible and if Dawn’s death could have been prevented.

Listeners will get behind-the-scenes insights into how a major public inquiry works, with expert reactions and analysis as the story unfolds.

Marie Lennon, says: “Most people can remember the news about a former Russian spy being poisoned in Salisbury, but there are still lots of questions about what happened in the four months between the Skripals being attacked, and the death of Dawn Sturgess. These extraordinary events had a profound impact on the local communities involved – none more so than Dawn’s family, who have waited six years for this Inquiry.”

Andy Howard, added: “What happened in Salisbury in 2018 was the most shocking story I’ve ever covered, and six years on there are still so many unanswered questions. With this podcast, we have the time and space to properly analyse and explain what really led to a chemical weapon killing a mum of three from Wiltshire.

The Salisbury Poisonings podcast is commissioned by BBC Sounds under The Crime Next Door strand which hosts true crime stories from local storytellers across the BBC in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Chris Burns, Controller of Local Audio Commissioning for the BBC says: “Our BBC Local Radio teams have a unique connection with audiences; they are closest to stories and the people impacted. That is what makes podcasts like this one, that are produced by the our local teams on the ground, so important. They are based on homegrown storytelling that allows our local reporters to pursue the truth with no agenda. If we are covering a news story, we do so through the eyes of our audiences and where they live.”

The Salisbury Poisonings is a fast-paced, reactive podcast, delivering up-to-date content on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Wiltshire twice a week, from Friday 11 October.