Boris Johnson claims it is 'overwhelmingly likely' Vladimir Putin personally ordered Salisbury spy attack

Boris Johnson has claimed it is “overwhelmingly likely” that Vladimir Putin personally ordered the Salisbury spy attack.

The Foreign Secretary’s decision to formally lay the blame for the nerve agent attack at the door of the Russian President came as the war of words between Moscow and the UK escalated.

Mr Johnson said: "Our quarrel is with Putin's Kremlin, and with his decision, and we think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War.

“That is why we are at odds with Russia."

The Kremlin moved immediately to reject Mr Johnson's claim and said it was "shocking...