Did anyone watch the 3 part drama telling the story of the Salisbury Poisonings in 2018. Thought it was brilliantly put together and acted throughout. Lots of parts I didn't know had happened and how bad it was for those who were poisoned
Well worth a watch on BBC Iplayer
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One thing did puzzle me though. At the end (and I've subsequently checked online) they said that Dawn's family are pushing for an enquiry & want answers. To what exactly. ? The fact her boyfriend found something in a bin & gave it to her as a present. I thought those in charge did bloody well locking down Salisbury when they did & removing benches doors etc that were contaminated. Dont think you can blame anybody for not finding the source of the poison. Perhaps they want to ask Putin along for a chat.....I'm sure he'll likely give them the answers they are looking for.
I am not sure why as I agree they did an amazing job. I read comments at the time that some people thought Dawn wasn't treated the same as other affected by it. The programme showed how much she was exposed to (ironically spraying on more as she couldn't smell the 'perfume') whilst not being in hte best of health.
Thought it was poignant having the real characters at the end.
I've no idea how close to reality the 2 central government characters were or whether they just represented officialdom's attitude but their obsessions with spin/distortion and cost were chilling. An informative insight to the motivations in play in our current health emergency.
Interesting to note that Superintendent Dave Minty and his boss DCC Mills were both awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the last New Year's Honours list. Based on the drama perhaps not hard to see why Minty was rewarded and inconceivable his boss wouldn't get at least the same. Quite a long time after the vents.
Tracy Daszkiewicz's role in the matter can not be understated. She'd been in post barely 3 months when events unfolded in March 2018. While she was undoubtedly executing the training she had received up to that point in her career, the tangible prospect of the illness and death of potentially thousands of people, in her own town, would have flattened many. No matter how much training, how much theoretical rehearsal one might have seen, the sudden reality would overwhelm the majority.
Incidentally that training hadn't included chemical weapons and nerve agent poisoning, not unreasonably one might have said. Her achievement in that light, is all the more remarkable.
She's had a promotion and is currently with PHE in its current COVID engagement but surely some sort of award or acknowledgement, commensurate with those dished out to plod above, is due, is it not? Without Mrs Daszkiewicz, Messrs Minty & Mills's jobs would have been entirely different.
Modest to the last, she is quoted as stating her role was just one in a team of dozens, then supported by hundreds more of her council colleagues; she was 'just doing her job'.
There can be no doubt that if any part of the incident had turned out measurably worse, then hers would have been among the first high profile heads to role, irrespective of actual fault or failing. Her job title would have been one to which it was easy for the scum in the press or in Westminster to attach blame despite their own abject ignorance and complacency.
Gutted now as I was told one of the characters is someone I worked with.
Can’t get iplayer here.