significant radioactive materials that blanketed the vast farming and industrial region as well as the Pacific Ocean shoreline.

On the same day, a hydrogen explosion ripped through a building encasing Reactor One. It was followed by the second explosion two days later at a building housing Reactor Three. On March 15, a third explosion hit a building for Reactor Four.

Despite the blasts, the reactors remained relatively intact. But radioactive materials continued to leak.

Then-Emperor Akihito on March 16 made an emergency television address in a bid to reassure a worried public.

In December 2011, the government said it had brought the reactors to the state of “cold shutdown”, meaning that they were kept stably cool with water and emission of radioactive materials was significantly reduced.novichok at the time of the Skripal attack in March but had only now opened it. He accepted there could even be several containers of novichok – but it was impossible to know.

Basu also said for the first time that a “particular” area of Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury, rather than the whole park, was a focus. He said it would be several more weeks, if not months, before the investigation was over.

The assistant commissioner said he hoped Rowley, who had now regained consciousness in hospital, would be able to tell them where they had found the container and detectives were at the hospital waiting to speak to him.

Basu also gave more detail on the attack on the Skripals. “They had no idea they were being targeted,” he