THE CITY STAY HOTEL in Bow is the focus of attention this morning – as claims surface that Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov partied the night away in the hotel before making their way to Salisbury.
What the pair did in Salisbury is disputed. UK Security forces say that they poisoned former Soviet agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia intentionally, as well as a police officer who assisted the Skripals. The UK forces also allege that the Russians’ careless disposal of the poison led to two other people being affected – one fatally. Soviet sources say that Boshirov and Petrov were innocent tourists.
What is now emerging is not just an allegation that the two stayed in £75 a night twin room in the City Stay Hotel – but also that they used the hotel as a party base. Guests are alleged to have complained to hotel staff that the smell of cannabis was coming from the Russians’ room and are alleging that they saw hotel staff cleaning the Russians’ room for most of the day after they checked out.
Other allegations now emerging from guests include that they were kept awake by the sound of “noisy sex”, which went on for a considerable time, after the pair brought a woman, whom they took to be a prostitute, back to the room. Guests say that it was so noisy that they complained to the hotel reception.
It was first alleged that the Russians had stayed in Bow back in May. Tests were carried out on the hotel, with very small traces of Novicohok (the poison used in the attempt to murder the Skripals) being found in early tests but not later ones. The allegations that the Russians used drugs and partied emerged after police appealed ten days ago for people who had stayed at the hotel in early March to come forward.
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