Wiltshire Police issues apology to family of Dawn Sturgess

Sturgess died in July 2018 and a public inquiry has today published its report into her death.

Following the report release, Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Catherine Roper has issued a statement apologising for the errors made by the force.

She said: "I would like to reaffirm that the collective condolences of everyone at Wiltshire Police remain with Dawn’s family and friends.

"Since Dawn’s death on July 8, 2018, they have had to wait for answers as to how this tragedy unfolded.

"I cannot begin to imagine the pain of losing a daughter and not having a complete picture of how this happened.

"It is also important for me to acknowledge that, in part, this pain was compounded by mistakes made by Wiltshire Police.

"Dawn was wrongly described by Wiltshire Police as a known drug user – this was not correct and should never have happened.

"For this, I am truly sorry."

The inquiry also raised concerns about the police response to the incident.

Ms Roper said the force is committed to learning from its mistakes and has already implemented changes.

She said: "We identified 21 areas for improvement (grouped below) and these were tracked through our Force Organisational Learning Board chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith.

"During each day of the hearings, our teams captured every opportunity to inform future learning or development to improve our policing service."

Key improvements include prompt and effective sharing of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) advice, enhanced multi-agency exercise training, and the recording of emergency services’ huddles on Body Worn Video (BWV).

The force has also reinforced the importance of using only factual and objective language in all police records.

Wiltshire Police said it fully accepts the public inquiry’s recommendations and is committed to implementing them.

Police on Christie Miller Road in 2018 (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography)

Ms Roper said: "The organisational learning we have already progressed will absorb these and we will ensure these are continuously reviewed.

"It is important for me to recognise the significant impacts the Novichok poisonings had on Sergei and Yulia Skripal, former Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, Dawn’s partner Charlie Rowley, and all of their loved ones.

"Their lives have been irreversibly changed as a result of the poisonings and the inquiry findings will have an impact upon them so my thoughts remain with them at this time."

She also reflected on the impact the incidents had on the wider community.

She said communities "will not be defined by the malicious actions of those seeking to cause harm in Salisbury," but recognised that the events have become a part of their modern history.

Ms Roper said: "From the initial incident in Salisbury, the world watched on as local communities supported one another and the emergency services deployed in their neighbourhoods for months at a time."