Russia poisoning victims could receive NEW identities under witness protection scheme

Both are slowly recovering from the chemical attack in Salisbury while police draw up plans to guarantee their future safety.

Mr Skripal, 66, a former double agent, became a British citizen in a spy swap deal with the Kremlin.

But his daughter, 33, is a Russian citizen, amid a diplomatic row over access to her.

The British government insists Russia was behind the attack and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson yesterday hit out at the “torrent of absurdity” from Moscow.

He also accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of being a “useful idiot” and lending “false credibility” to Moscow by refusing to say “unequivocally” that Russia was responsible for the attack.

Mr Skripal is improving rapidly and no longer in a critical condition while his daughter is “growing stronger by the day”.

Mr Johnson’s broadside came after Russia requested a meeting between him and their ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to discuss the case.

But the move was branded a “diversionary tactic” by the Foreign Office.

Kremlin diplomats said denying a British entry visa to Yulia’s cousin Viktoria Skripal, who had “very much hoped to support her family members in a difficult moment”, was “politically motivated”.

She has vowed to fight for entry and said she will take her case to the United Nations if necessary.

Moscow is also now pressing to quiz Scotland Yard over its probe into the suspected murder last month of Russian businessman Nikolay Glushkov in London.

An inquest heard cause of death was compression to the neck.

Mr Glushkov, 68, fled Russia after being accused of an £87million fraud while deputy director of the Russian airline Aeroflot, and was sentenced in absentia to eight years jail.