Police in the UK have confirmed a man and women found unconscious in south-west England were exposed to the same nerve agent that poisoned a former Russian agent and his daughter.

The man and woman were found in Amesbury, struck down with Novichok, the same nerve agent used on Yulia and Sergai Skripal in the March attack.

It’s unclear how the couple came to be exposed to the nerve agent, but police say they may have handled a contaminated item.

Professor George Braitberg, an expert in emergency toxicology, told Justin and Kate the effect depended on dosage and there wasn’t a lot known about the potentially deadly agent.

“It’s a nerve agent that requires two chemicals to work together to make it poisonous,” he said.

“It would have a very large kill zone if the right amount was used.”

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Photo: PA Wire