Poisoned Russian spy and his daughter pictured

Poisoned Russian spy and his daughter pictured in restaurant

The Russian spy at the centre of a poison plot was pictured raising a toast with his daughter in the Zizzi restaurant which has been cordoned off by police.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia smiled for the camera while holding glasses of lager and wine inside the Italian chain.

The pair went for a meal at the same restaurant before they were attacked with a nerve agent in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on Sunday.

The photograph of them smiling in Zizzi was taken by a mystery man and is part of a collection of images detailing Mr Skripal's life in the UK. 

Pictures in the album suggest he was not afraid of enjoying his time in Britain as he is seen supping beer in pubs and restaurants in the city.  

It comes as a source said investigators are understood to be moving away from the theory that a nerve agent was sprayed directly at Skripal. 

They are believed to be focusing more on the possibility that poison was added to his food or drink at some point before he collapsed.  

And it has now emerged that Mr Skripal was so fond of Britain that he hung a Union Jack flag in a window at his home.

The large flag covered a whole window and showed that he was a true lover of the country he had passed information on to while a senior official in the Russian secret service.

Police today extended the cordon around the cul-de-sac at Mr Skripal's home from 50 yards to 150 yards. Residents were still allowed access to their homes but there was no view point directly to the house.

This followed the arrival of several vehicles from South West Ambulance Service, including three incident response vehicles. 

Meanwhile, claims suggest Yulia may have unwittingly brought the nerve agent with her from Moscow in a gift.

Investigators are said to be probing whether Yulia could have brought the toxin with her from Russia as a present from friends for her father.

She could have then opened it when the pair were out together in Salisbury on Sunday afternoon - at either a pub, Zizzi restaurant or the city's shopping centre.  

Police said a nerve agent was used to deliberately poison the Skripals  - and both are in comas fighting for their lives along with a policeman who was first on the scene.   

Mr Skripal and his daughter are in a critical condition after they were 'specifically targeted' with a deadly substance in the middle of Salisbury city centre in Wiltshire. 

It is also been revealed that a police officer who was among the first on the scene and found the pair slumped on a bench is in a 'very serious' condition in hospital. 

All three are believed to be in comas in intensive care following exposure to the nerve agent on Sunday. 

Last night a source told The Times that the feeling was Mr Skripal 'was not going to make it', while the prognosis for his daughter was slightly better and the policeman was less seriously ill. 

It also emerged last night that Whitehall officials were drawing up a list of Russian officials they could expel from the country if it emerged Moscow was behind the assassination attempt.

Nerve agents are highly toxic chemicals that attack the nervous system and shut down bodily functions.  

Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Wednesday, head of counter terrorism policing, Mark Rowley revealed government experts have identified the specific nerve agent that was used, but would not be making that information public.   

Establishing the substance's origins will be an urgent priority as authorities attempt to track down the person or people responsible.  

'Having established that they were exposed to a nerve agent, we are now treating this as a major incident involving an attempted murder by the administration of a nerve agent,' he said. 

'Sadly, in addition, a police officer who was one of the first to attend the scene and respond to the incident is now also in a serious condition in hospital.

'Wiltshire Police are, of course, providing every support to his family.

'Whilst we are now in a position to confirm that their symptoms are as a result of exposure to a nerve agent, I will not be providing further information at this stage about the exact substance which has been identified.'

Yesterday afternoon's press conference was held as it was also revealed that:

A fellow Russian exile said he met Mr Skripal several times and claims he was still working and in regular contact with intelligence offic