Sergei Skripal

(Reuters) - British police declared a major incident late on Tuesday after it said a man and a woman in a critical condition may have been exposed to an unknown substance near the southern English town of Salisbury.

In London, three passers-by were hospitalized in the hospital after being doused unknown "toxic substance".

As reported BBC citing the police, the three victims, 17, 22 and 27 years found on the street in the Kingsland area of Hackney in North East London and taken to a hospital.

The G7 Foreign Ministers endorsed the UK position that Russia was "highly likely" responsible for the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the United Kingdom, reports Sputnik.

President Aleksandar Vucic said this in an interview for Rossiya-24 broadcaster, Sputnik is reporting on Friday.

Britain is considering offering poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia new identities and a fresh life in the United States in an attempt to protect them from further murder attempts, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

New Zealand could become the Skripals new home although the US is the more likely destination.

Britain is considering offering poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia new identities and a fresh life in the US in an attempt to protect them from further murder attempts.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has warned British officials they are "playing with fire" and will be "sorry" over their response to the poisoning of a former double agent and his daughter in Salisbury, Independent reported.

The pets of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned in the UK, are dead, a spokeswoman for the British Environment Ministry said.

She told the agency that when given access to Skripal's home, a vet discovered his two dead guinea pigs. A cat has been found in a severe condition and a vet surgeon has decided to euthanize her to put an end to her troubles.

The first of a group of 60 US diplomats who have been expelled from Russia in the wake of the poisoned spy row departed from Washington's embassy in Moscow early Thursday, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Yulia Skripal was poisoned with a nerve agent just days after gaining access to a £150,000 'secret bank account' with proceeds from a house sale in Britain, it has emerged.

The money had belonged to her brother Alexander who died in mysterious circumstances in St Petersburg last year.