UK police rule out Novichok link after 2 people fall ill

London, Sep 17 : The UK police on Monday ruled out the possibility that two people who fell ill after eating at a restaurant in Salisbury had been exposed to nerve agent Novichok.

The Wiltshire police declared a "major incident" on Sunday evening after it came to light that a man and woman had become unwell at a Prezzo restaurant, six months after former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia became the victims of Novichok poisoning in the same city.

"Due to recent events in the city and concerns that the pair had been exposed to an unknown substance, a highly precautionary approach was taken by all emergency services," the police said in a statement cited by the BBC. 

"We can now confirm that there is nothing to suggest that Novichok is the substance," added the statement.

The pair were taken to Salisbury District Hospital. The police said it was "not yet clear" if a crime had been committed and that inquiries remained ongoing. 

In March, Skripal and his daughter collapsed in the centre of Salisbury after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok. 

After weeks in hospital they were released, but in June two Amesbury town residents fell ill after being exposed to the same nerve agent. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died and a murder inquiry was launched.

Her partner, Charlie Rowley, also became ill but managed to make a recovery.

The UK blamed Russia for the Novichok attack on the Skripals and accused two Russian citizens -- Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov of poisoning the ex-spy and his daughter. 

But in an interview on a Russian state-run news channel, the two men claimed to be tourists. Russia has denied any involvement in the poisoning.