Russia nerve agent attack was 'reckless act carried out by people who disregard the sanctity of human life', UK tells UN

'They either did not care that the weapon would be traced back to them or mistakenly believed they could cover their traces'

The Salisbury attack was a “reckless act carried out by people who disregard the sanctity of human life”, Britain's deputy ambassador to the United Nations (UN) told an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

Jonathan Allen said said the attackers were "indifferent" about harming innocent civilians.

“A weapon so horrific that it is banned use in war was used in a peaceful city in my country," he said. "This was a reckless act carried out by people who disregard the sanctity of human life, who are indifferent to whether innocents are caught up in their attacks.

“They either did not care that the weapon would be traced back to them or mistakenly believed they could cover their traces.”

As a result he said Britain's Government is asking the international chemical weapons watchdog to independently verify its analysis that a military-grade nerve agent from the former Soviet Union was used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

He said that without any alternative explanation from Russian authorities about the nerve agent "we have no choice but to conclude this was a state-sponsored act against the prohibition and use of chemical weapons and in defiance of international law."

He said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been informed about the use of the nerve agent and the UN "are inviting them to independently verify our analysis." He said: "We are making every effort to expedite this process."

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, said his country demanded "that material proof be provided of the allegedly found Russian trace in this high-resonance event."

He added: "Without this, stating that there is incontrovertible truth is not something that we can take into account."

The meeting was called after Theresa May announced that the UK would be expelling 23 Russian spies from the UK as a response.

The move, which is the biggest expulsion in more than 30 years, has been described by the Russians as "unacceptable" and a "provocation".

The Prime Minister also confirmed that no UK dignitaries will attend the World Cup in Russia later this year, and said a planned visit by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will be scrapped.

Ms May addressed MPs following Prime Minister’s Questions, after Russia failed to comply with the British government’s midnight demand for an explanation of the poisoning of the ex-spy.

She said Vladimir Putin had responded to her demand to explain the “reckless and despicable act” in Salisbury with “sarcasm, contempt and defiance”.

She concluded that that was "no alternative" other than the Russian state was responsible for the incident.