'History made at Dawn Sturgess' rollercoaster inquiry'

Life has once again stood still for residents in Salisbury, a small city in Wiltshire that found itself at the centre of international attention in 2018 after an astonishing assassination attempt.

For the last six weeks, the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry has attracted the world's media, and for us, as journalists, attending and covering the inquiry each session brought with it a new revelation.

It was a rollercoaster of espionage and emotional family statements that have gripped all of those watching.

Walking through the big wooden doors of the Guildhall in October, you felt the gravity of holding an independent inquiry.

There were handheld scanners like you’d see at the airport, bag searches, and you could only take in a drink if you took a sip in front of the security guards.

There were large purple signs everywhere, with The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry written across them in bold white letters.

Opening the sessions, the chair, Lord Hughes, said above all else we must all why we were there, that Ms Sturgess - a 44-year-old mother-of-three - had lost her life in the Novichok attacks.

Although many local people welcomed the inquiry, before it even got going on that cold, damp morning, we overheard: “We know what happened, what’s the point of dragging all this up":[]}