Police say two people in the UK appear to have been poisoned with the same deadly chemical used against a former Russian spy and his daughter earlier this year.
Neil Basu of Metropolitan Police said there had been a "significant development" to the situation.
British counter terrorism police were investigating this morning after two people were left in critical condition, exposed to an unknown substance a few miles from where a former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned with a nerve agent.
The Wiltshire Police force declared a "major incident" after a man and a woman in their 40s were hospitalised.
"Due to concerns of the symptoms both the man and the woman were displaying", samples from both patients were sent for analysis, he said.
"We can confirm the man and woman have been exposed to the nerve agent novichok which has been identified as the same nerve agent that contaminated both Sergei and Yulia Skripal."
Novichok was reportedly used in the recent attack of the former Russan spy and his daughter.
Mr Basu said both the recent patients are still in a critical condition.
"Both are British nationals and are local to the area."
About 100 counter terrorism officers are working on the incident.
It was initially thought the couple in Wiltshire had taken a bad batch of drugs.
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