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| Rat poison, Prezzo and the Russian model: an odd Salisbury subplot | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The saga of the Salisbury nerve agent poisonings is long, twisty and dark, but when the book or film comes out, the story of the Russian lingerie model, the rat poison and the Italian restaurant may emerge as one of the more bizarre subplots. | |
| At the centre of this subplot is Anna Shapiro, a Russian-born model who has claimed that she and her husband, Alex King, were targeted by Moscow at the weekend a few metres from the bench where the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, collapsed after being poisoned with the nerve agent novichok. | |
| On the fringes of this is Edward Davenport, nicknamed “Fast Eddy”, a man famed for throwing risqué parties at a central London mansion frequented by rock gods and movie stars – and for being jailed for fraud. | |
| Trying to get to the bottom of it all is the Wiltshire police force, a restaurant chain that stated it did not use the rat poison strychnine at its Salisbury branch, and the good people of the city who could really do without more talk of Russian spies and poisonings. | Trying to get to the bottom of it all is the Wiltshire police force, a restaurant chain that stated it did not use the rat poison strychnine at its Salisbury branch, and the good people of the city who could really do without more talk of Russian spies and poisonings. |
| First the facts. A major incident was declared on Sunday evening in Salisbury after two people apparently fell ill at the Prezzo restaurant on the High Street. Streets were sealed off and experts in protective clothing rushed in to help. Police quickly downgraded the incident and made it clear that novichok was not involved but two people, a 42-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, were taken to hospital. | First the facts. A major incident was declared on Sunday evening in Salisbury after two people apparently fell ill at the Prezzo restaurant on the High Street. Streets were sealed off and experts in protective clothing rushed in to help. Police quickly downgraded the incident and made it clear that novichok was not involved but two people, a 42-year-old man and 30-year-old woman, were taken to hospital. |
| On Wednesday afternoon Salisbury district hospital confirmed that both had been discharged. A spokeswoman said tests on both came up negative for novichok, adding: “Both patients are now medically fit and there is no need for them to be in hospital. While this incident did not involve nerve agents, it was still clearly very stressful for our staff who, once again, demonstrated the very best of the NHS.” | On Wednesday afternoon Salisbury district hospital confirmed that both had been discharged. A spokeswoman said tests on both came up negative for novichok, adding: “Both patients are now medically fit and there is no need for them to be in hospital. While this incident did not involve nerve agents, it was still clearly very stressful for our staff who, once again, demonstrated the very best of the NHS.” |
| The story may have faded – there have been other false alarms since the Skripal attack in March – but one witness revealed that she had been sitting next to the woman, whom she described as a “beautiful blonde girl”, who was Russian. Reporters’ ears pricked up. | The story may have faded – there have been other false alarms since the Skripal attack in March – but one witness revealed that she had been sitting next to the woman, whom she described as a “beautiful blonde girl”, who was Russian. Reporters’ ears pricked up. |
| On Tuesday evening Wiltshire police put out a statement saying they did not believe a crime had been committed, while admitting they had not yet established exactly what had happened. But they made it clear they were not linking the Prezzo incident to the poisonings of the Skripals and the Salisbury couple Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, all of which have been blamed on Moscow. | On Tuesday evening Wiltshire police put out a statement saying they did not believe a crime had been committed, while admitting they had not yet established exactly what had happened. But they made it clear they were not linking the Prezzo incident to the poisonings of the Skripals and the Salisbury couple Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess, all of which have been blamed on Moscow. |
| And then the Sun hit the news stands and internet. Anna Shapiro claimed she and her husband were the couple who had fallen ill in Prezzo in Salisbury and that they had been targeted by the Russians. She claimed her father was a Russian general and she had angered Moscow by turning her back on her homeland. Besides which, they thought she was a spy. | And then the Sun hit the news stands and internet. Anna Shapiro claimed she and her husband were the couple who had fallen ill in Prezzo in Salisbury and that they had been targeted by the Russians. She claimed her father was a Russian general and she had angered Moscow by turning her back on her homeland. Besides which, they thought she was a spy. |
| Police sources reacted with deep scepticism to the account but did not put out any further statement, creating something of an information vacuum that allowed the Shapiro story to take hold. | Police sources reacted with deep scepticism to the account but did not put out any further statement, creating something of an information vacuum that allowed the Shapiro story to take hold. |
| One thing is clear: Shapiro (apparently also known as Anna Webb or Chana Shapiro) is not shy of publicity. On her Twitter account she describes herself as a “London model living life to the max. Passion for travel, culture and healthy living”. Her Instagram account features images of her posing on beaches and yachts. But there is also a more serious side. Her interests according to her LinkedIn include the UN and Chatham House, the international affairs thinktank. | One thing is clear: Shapiro (apparently also known as Anna Webb or Chana Shapiro) is not shy of publicity. On her Twitter account she describes herself as a “London model living life to the max. Passion for travel, culture and healthy living”. Her Instagram account features images of her posing on beaches and yachts. But there is also a more serious side. Her interests according to her LinkedIn include the UN and Chatham House, the international affairs thinktank. |
| She also has interesting friends. On Facebook there is a picture purporting to be her with “Fast Eddie” Davenport on a four-poster bed. She is in her underwear while Davenport and another man are in their pyjamas. | She also has interesting friends. On Facebook there is a picture purporting to be her with “Fast Eddie” Davenport on a four-poster bed. She is in her underwear while Davenport and another man are in their pyjamas. |
| There is another link with Davenport. Shapiro and King are listed as directors at Gem Locations UK, which offers “a wide range of services such as hospitality, entertainment, event management, location scouting and concierge”. The correspondence address for the company is 32 Portland Place, a mansion house in central London. | There is another link with Davenport. Shapiro and King are listed as directors at Gem Locations UK, which offers “a wide range of services such as hospitality, entertainment, event management, location scouting and concierge”. The correspondence address for the company is 32 Portland Place, a mansion house in central London. |
| Shapiro was not answering calls on Wednesday but Davenport was to be found at his London home – 32 Portland Place – working out in the basement gym. Like the police he seemed sceptical at Shapiro’s claims. “I’m not really convinced that she has got anything to do with [Vladimir] Putin, put it that way.” He said King was his friend but added: “I’ve never heard him talking about Putin before. I know Alex extremely well, but I haven’t seen a lot of him since he got together with the Russian girl.” | Shapiro was not answering calls on Wednesday but Davenport was to be found at his London home – 32 Portland Place – working out in the basement gym. Like the police he seemed sceptical at Shapiro’s claims. “I’m not really convinced that she has got anything to do with [Vladimir] Putin, put it that way.” He said King was his friend but added: “I’ve never heard him talking about Putin before. I know Alex extremely well, but I haven’t seen a lot of him since he got together with the Russian girl.” |
| Davenport explained the pair used to live nearby but had moved out some years ago. He described King as a “fun guy” who in 2006 won a £100,000 bet to get into a Royal Premiere. King did win the bet for getting into the History Boys screening and reportedly shook hands with Prince Charles. | Davenport explained the pair used to live nearby but had moved out some years ago. He described King as a “fun guy” who in 2006 won a £100,000 bet to get into a Royal Premiere. King did win the bet for getting into the History Boys screening and reportedly shook hands with Prince Charles. |
| Clearly Davenport and King are skilful at garnering publicity. When the Independent newspaper was invited into Davenport’s mansion 10 years ago, King was Davenport’s press representative. King showed the Independent pictures of Davenport “cosying up” to well-known figures, including a government spin doctor and a rapper. | Clearly Davenport and King are skilful at garnering publicity. When the Independent newspaper was invited into Davenport’s mansion 10 years ago, King was Davenport’s press representative. King showed the Independent pictures of Davenport “cosying up” to well-known figures, including a government spin doctor and a rapper. |
| There is yet another twist. On Saturday morning, the day before the Prezzo incident, a man seeming to claim to be Shapiro’s father, Aleksandr Shapiro, posted on Facebook that he was searching for his daughter. “I want to ask ... where and with whom is my daughter,” he wrote, adding that he believed Anna was being held against her will, and that he had gone to the police. | There is yet another twist. On Saturday morning, the day before the Prezzo incident, a man seeming to claim to be Shapiro’s father, Aleksandr Shapiro, posted on Facebook that he was searching for his daughter. “I want to ask ... where and with whom is my daughter,” he wrote, adding that he believed Anna was being held against her will, and that he had gone to the police. |
| According to data that had previously been public on his profile, Aleksandr Shapiro is 47 and lives in Nizhny Novgorod, an industrial city on the Volga river 250 miles east of Moscow. Anna Shapiro told the Sun she was born in the city. | According to data that had previously been public on his profile, Aleksandr Shapiro is 47 and lives in Nizhny Novgorod, an industrial city on the Volga river 250 miles east of Moscow. Anna Shapiro told the Sun she was born in the city. |
| It may read like a stage farce but the story of Salisbury’s troubles is no laughing matter. Prezzo felt it had to put out a statement in response to a suggestion in the Sun that the pair could have been attacked with strychnine. | It may read like a stage farce but the story of Salisbury’s troubles is no laughing matter. Prezzo felt it had to put out a statement in response to a suggestion in the Sun that the pair could have been attacked with strychnine. |
| A Prezzo spokesman said: “We wish to confirm that the chemical strychnine is not used in Prezzo in Salisbury. This has been verified through independent technical support. We have been informed that Wiltshire police are not linking the event on Sunday evening to the recent nerve agent poisonings in Salisbury and Amesbury and have made no suggestion that the illness was a result of anything present in our restaurant. | A Prezzo spokesman said: “We wish to confirm that the chemical strychnine is not used in Prezzo in Salisbury. This has been verified through independent technical support. We have been informed that Wiltshire police are not linking the event on Sunday evening to the recent nerve agent poisonings in Salisbury and Amesbury and have made no suggestion that the illness was a result of anything present in our restaurant. |
| “Based on the information we have received this is an isolated incident. We can also confirm that none of our team suffered any related illness, and all are well and keen to return to duty when the restaurant re-opens. They dealt with the circumstances of Sunday evening in an admirable manner and our thanks go to each of them.” | “Based on the information we have received this is an isolated incident. We can also confirm that none of our team suffered any related illness, and all are well and keen to return to duty when the restaurant re-opens. They dealt with the circumstances of Sunday evening in an admirable manner and our thanks go to each of them.” |
| The police guard on the Prezzo door was removed on Wednesday afternoon and staff could be seen at work though it did not immediately re-open. The government announced that another Salisbury Italian restaurant, Zizzi, where the Skripals ate just before they collapsed had been declared safe. | The police guard on the Prezzo door was removed on Wednesday afternoon and staff could be seen at work though it did not immediately re-open. The government announced that another Salisbury Italian restaurant, Zizzi, where the Skripals ate just before they collapsed had been declared safe. |
| Meanwhile the people of Salisbury try to get on with life. “I smell a rat with this story,” said one reader of the Salisbury Journal website. Another suggested: “Model, Russian, Salisbury, restaurant – too many coincidences to be taken at face value.” | Meanwhile the people of Salisbury try to get on with life. “I smell a rat with this story,” said one reader of the Salisbury Journal website. Another suggested: “Model, Russian, Salisbury, restaurant – too many coincidences to be taken at face value.” |
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