Novichok poisoning survivor Charlie Rowley has said it is “about time somebody paid for what happened” after charges were authorised against a third Russian spy suspect.

Mr Rowley fell seriously ill and his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess died after they were exposed to the deadly nerve agent.

Mr Rowley spoke out after it was announced a third suspect will now face a string of charges including trying to kill former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and ex-police officer Nick Bailey.

An interview with ITV News, he said: “It’s about time somebody paid for what happened.

“Somebody needs to pay for the trouble that is caused.

“Dawn lost a life.

“Her kids have lost her mother and that’s a hard thing to deal with.

“I’ve lost my (girlfriend).

“It’s a hard thing to get through.”

“I don’t think we’re any further forward than we were three years ago.

“I feel frustrated at the fact they’re bringing it up again.

“It’s not the first time, it’s the second time.

“What will come of it?

“Nothing.

“They’re in the same place, they’re safe.

“It’s annoying it frustrates me.”

He said when he first heard about the third suspect being identified “it wasn’t a shock”, adding: “I heard about it in the first-place months, maybe a year ago and nothing came of it.

“The guy is Russian.

“He’s in Russia and untouchable.

“Another guy who is in a safe place, safe haven.

“I’d like to find a way to get to him.

“But how do we do that?”

Asked on the status of the current investigation, he added: “I don’t know where it’s going.

“Why hasn’t anything happened since the first time they realised there’s a third person.

“Why has it taken so long for this info to come true?”