Image copyright Moscow District Military Court/TASS Image caption Sergei Skripal was exposed to a nerve agent from the Novichok group in Salisbury

Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal has been discharged from hospital, two months after being poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury.

The 66-year-old was found slumped on a park bench in the city on 4 March, with his daughter Yulia.

They were taken to Salisbury District Hospital's intensive care unit, where they were stabilised after being exposed to Novichok.

Ms Skripal was released on 9 April and was moved to a secure location.

It is not known whether Mr Skripal has been taken to the same location as his daughter.

BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said he understood that Mr Skripal is able to walk, and has talked to police at length, but is not completely recovered.

He said police sources indicated that the investigation could take months of carefully piecing together movements of people and cars from mobile phone records, CCTV, automatic number plate recognition and passenger flight records.

The Metropolitan Police said its investigation into the attack continued and it would not "be discussing any protective or security arrangements that are in place".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC Rewind looks back at cases of high-profile Russians targeted on foreign soil

Director of nursing Lorna Wilkinson said treating the Skripals had been "a huge and unprecedented challenge".

She added: "This is an important stage in his recovery, which will now take place away from the hospital."

Russian ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko welcomed the news that Mr Skripal had been discharged, and repeated his demand for consular access to the former spy and his daughter.

At a news conference at his official residence in London, Mr Yakovenko said: "We are happy that he is all right."

The Russian ambassador has previously claimed the UK is violating international law by not granting access to the Skripals.

"If they don't want our assistance, that's fine, but we want to see them physically," he said.

Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats in response to the attack in Salisbury, but Mr Yakovenko and others remain.

DS Nick Bailey - the police officer who first attended the Skripals on the day of the poisoning - was also treated for exposure to the nerve agent, but was discharged in March.

Clinicians at the hospital had to keep the Skripals alive while their bodies could produce more enzymes to replace those that had been poisoned.

Analysis

By Leila Nathoo, BBC News home affairs correspondent

When Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left in a critical condition, it seemed improbable that the two would survive.

Now, less than three months on, both have been discharged from hospital.

Their personal safety will be a priority for the police - the two have been taken to a secure location.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the attempted murder of the Skripals, though so far no suspects have been named.

They will have spoken at length to both Sergei and Yulia about what happened and why they may have been targeted.

But police say they are still working to establish the full facts of the attack.

The UK government has blamed Russia for the attack, with Prime Minister Theresa May describing the incident as "brazen" and "despicable".

But the Russian government denied any involvement and has accused the UK of inventing a "fake story".

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is due to speak at a conference in Paris on Friday intended to fight against impunity for the use of chemical weapons.

Speaking before the conference, he said: "Assad's brutality in Syria and the attempted murders in Salisbury pose a grave threat to the Chemical Weapons Convention and to the rules-based order that keeps us all safe."

Image caption Yulia and Sergei Skripal were taken to Salisbury District Hospital after being found slumped on a bench

In 2006 Mr Skripal, a former Russian colonel, was jailed in Russia for 13 years for passing on the identities of Russian spies in Europe to the UK intelligence services.

But in 2010 he was part of a prisoner swap between Moscow and the United States. He eventually settled in Salisbury.

When Ms Skripal was released she refused assistance from the Russian embassy, who claim they had been denied consular access to a Russian national.

Recently the director general of MI5, Andrew Parker, publicly blamed Russia for the "reckless" poisoning, accusing the Kremlin of "flagrant breaches of international rules".

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Specialist officers in protective suits retrieved samples from multiple sites in Salisbury

The investigation into the nerve agent attack saw the closure of areas of Salisbury, as police and specialist investigators identified where the Skripals were poisoned.

The highest concentration of the Novichok was found at the Skripals' front door.

A multimillion pound operation to decontaminate nine locations in the city is under way. Two places that the Skripals visited - the Mill pub and a Zizzi restaurant - are among the places deemed to be still at risk.</s>Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was exposed to a nerve agent along with his daughter, has been discharged from hospital.

Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia Skripal, 33, were admitted to Salisbury District Hospital along with Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey after being exposed to the novichok agent on March 4.

The hospital confirmed on Friday that all three patients had now been discharged.

Treatment of such patients involves “stabilising them, keeping them alive until their bodies could produce more enzymes to replace those that had been poisoned”, it said.

Lorna Wilkinson, director of nursing at the hospital, said: “We have been able to discharge Sergei Skripal.

“This is an important stage in his recovery, which will now take place away from the hospital.

“Treating him and the other two people poisoned by this nerve agent, while still providing outstanding care to the other patients who rely on our hospital, has been a huge and unprecedented challenge that I’m proud our staff at Salisbury Hospital have risen to.”</s>UK hospital says ex-spy Sergei Skripal discharged, more than 2 months after poisoning with nerve agent.</s>London: Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy who was poisoned by a nerve agent in Britain more than two months ago, has been discharged from hospital, England's health service said on Friday.

Sergei Skripal, 66, a former colonel in Russia's military intelligence who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack and Western governments including the United States have expelled over 100 Russian diplomats. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and has retaliated in kind.

The Skripals were in a critical condition for weeks and doctors at one point feared that, even if they survived, they might have suffered brain damage. But their health began to improve rapidly, and Yulia was discharged last month.

"It is fantastic news that Sergei Skripal is well enough to leave Salisbury District Hospital," the hospital's Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks said in a statement.</s>LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy poisoned by a nerve agent in Britain in March, has been discharged from hospital, England's health service said on Friday.

Skripal was found collapsed on a bench on March 4 in the southern English city of Salisbury along with his daughter, who was discharged from hospital last month.

"It is fantastic news that Sergei Skripal is well enough to leave Salisbury District Hospital," the hospital's Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks said in a statement.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack and Western governments including the United States have expelled over 100 Russian diplomats. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and has retaliated in kind. (Reporting by Alistair Smout and Michael Holden Editing by William Schomberg)</s>Former double agent Sergei Skripal has been discharged from Salisbury Hospital more than two months after he and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent, the hospital has said.

The Skripals were found unconscious on a bench in the English cathedral city of Salisbury on March 4.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the pair were attacked with a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group of poisons, developed by the Soviet Union.

Russia has denied Britain's charges of involvement in the first known offensive use of such a nerve agent on European soil since World War II.

It has suggested Britain carried out the attack itself to stoke anti-Russian hysteria.

Salisbury District Hospital said that all three people hospitalised in the attack — Sergei and Yulia Skripal as well as a police officer who came to their assistance — had now been released.

The Skripals have been taken to an undisclosed location for their safety.

"We have been able to discharge Sergei Skripal," said Lorna Wilkinson, director of nursing at the hospital.

Sergei Skripal is a former Russian intelligence officer who was convicted of spying for Britain before coming to the UK as part of a 2010 prisoner swap.

He had been living quietly in the cathedral city of Salisbury, 145 kilometres south-west of London, when he was struck down.

Yulia Skripal, 33, recovered more quickly than her 66-year-old father and was discharged last month.

The police officer who was also exposed to the poison was discharged from hospital two weeks after the incident.</s>Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy poisoned with a nerve agent in March, has been discharged from hospital.

Salisbury District Hospital announced the news in a statement on Thursday morning. It follows the release of his daughter, Yulia, last month, and of Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also exposed to the military-grade Novichok nerve agent.



"While these patients have now been discharged, their right to patient confidentiality remains and limits us from giving detailed accounts of the treatment these individuals received," the hospital said.



"However, treating people who are so acutely unwell, having been poisoned by nerve agents, requires stabilising them, keeping them alive until their bodies could produce more enzymes to replace those that had been poisoned."



Both Skripals were left in a critical condition after the nerve agent attack on 4 March.



It provoked a diplomatic crisis between Russia and Western governments, with Moscow denying accusations that it was behind the attack. An escalating war of words ensued, resulting in the expulsion of more than 150 diplomats on each side.

Last month, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed that a Russian-made substance was used in the attack. Novichok is thought to have been developed in the Soviet Union between the 1970s and the 1990s, although Russia has denied that weapons research was carried out under this name.



Skripal's recovery represents a remarkable turn-around of events, as initially prime minister Theresa May said that he and his daughter "may never recover fully".

Salisbury District Hospital chief executive, Cara Charles-Barks, said it was "fantastic news".



"That he, Yulia and DS Bailey have been able to leave us so soon after coming into contact with this nerve agent is thanks to the hard work, skill and professionalism of our clinicians, who provide outstanding care to all our patients, day in and day out.

"This has been a difficult time for those caught up in this incident - the patients, our staff and the people of Salisbury," she added. "I want to thank the public for their support, and I want to pay a special tribute to both the clinical staff here at the trust and those who work so hard behind the scenes."</s>LONDON — Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal has been discharged from a British hospital, more than two months after he was poisoned with nerve agent, hospital officials in the United Kingdom said Friday.

Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unresponsive on a bench in Salisbury, a city in southern England, on March 4. The two were taken to Salisbury District Hospital in critical condition.

Yulia Skripal was discharged from the hospital last month.

Salisbury District Hospital announced Friday that both patients have now been released. The father and daughter have been taken to an undisclosed location for their safety.

Britain says the Skripals were poisoned with Soviet-developed Novichok nerve agent and blames Russia. The Kremlin denies any responsibility. Sergei Skripal spent time in jail in Russia for passing state secrets to Britain. He was released as part of a spy swap in 2010 and moved to Salisbury.

The poisoning incident has soured relations between Russia and many British allies.

Dozens of countries including Britain and the United States have expelled over 150 Russian diplomats because of the incident, while Russia has retaliated by expelling foreign envoys.

London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) said it was continuing to investigate the poisonings as attempted murders.

"This is a complex investigation and detectives continue to gather and piece together all the evidence to establish the full facts and circumstances behind this dreadful attack," the MPS said in a statement.



 "In the interests of Sergei and Yulia’s safety, we will not be discussing any protective or security arrangements that are in place," the statement added.

More: Yulia Skripal, daughter of Russian former spy, discharged from Salisbury hospital after poisoning

More:List of countries and organizations that expelled Russian diplomats</s>Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy who was poisoned by a nerve agent in Britain more than two months ago, has been discharged from the hospital, England's health service said on Friday. Sergei Skripal, 66, a former colonel in Russia's military intelligence who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack and Western governments including the United States have expelled over 100 Russian diplomats. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning and has retaliated in kind. The Skripals were in a critical condition for weeks and doctors at one point feared that, even if they survived, they might have suffered brain damage. But their health began to improve rapidly, and Yulia was discharged last month.

"It is fantastic news that Sergei Skripal is well enough to leave Salisbury District Hospital," the hospital's Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks said in a statement. Britain and international chemicals weapons inspectors have said the Skripals were poisoned with Novichok, a deadly group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 1980s. Russia has denied Britain's charges of involvement in the first known offensive use of such a nerve agent on European soil since World War Two. It has suggested Britain carried out the attack itself to stoke anti-Russian hysteria.</s>LONDON — Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal has been discharged from a British hospital, more than two months after he was poisoned with nerve agent, hospital officials in the United Kingdom said Friday.

Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unresponsive on a bench in Salisbury, a city in southern England, on March 4. The two were taken to Salisbury District Hospital in critical condition.

Yulia Skripal was discharged from the hospital last month.

Salisbury District Hospital announced Friday that both patients have now been released. The father and daughter have been taken to an undisclosed location for their safety.

Britain says the Skripals were poisoned with Soviet-developed Novichok nerve agent and blames Russia. The Kremlin denies any responsibility. Sergei Skripal spent time in jail in Russia for passing state secrets to Britain. He was released as part of a spy swap in 2010 and moved to Salisbury.

The poisoning incident has soured relations between Russia and many British allies.

Dozens of countries including Britain and the United States have expelled over 150 Russian diplomats because of the incident, while Russia has retaliated by expelling foreign envoys.

More: Yulia Skripal, daughter of Russian former spy, discharged from Salisbury hospital after poisoning

More: List of countries and organizations that expelled Russian diplomats
Sergei Skripal is discharged from hospital after two months.