In a series of Tweets this afternoon, Det Sgt Bailey – who was poisoned in the Salisbury Novichok attack – said: “After 18 years in the Police Force I’ve had to admit defeat and accept that I can no longer do the job. I wanted to be a police officer since I was a teenager, I couldn’t envisage doing anything else, which is why this makes me so sad,” he said. Like most police officers, I’ve experienced my fair share of trauma, violence, upset, injury and grief. Although I’ve tried so hard to make it work, I know that I won’t find peace whilst remaining in that environment. For me, it’s time for a change. 1772: off duty.” Mark Andrews, Chairman of Wiltshire Police Federation, said: “It’s really sad for me personally to hear of Nick’s leaving. Nick was the victim of a terrible crime, he is a personal friend of mine and a valued colleague of ours at Wiltshire Police Federation. I know he’ll be missed by every police officer who he has come into contact with through his service. “What happened to Nick is unprecedented and I hope will never happen to any other police officer or any other British citizen again. I can only hope that one day the offenders will be brought to justice and Nick will be able to rest knowing that.” Mark added: “I’ve always been impressed with how Nick and his family managed what they went through. I know both physically and mentally it’s been tough, but Nick showed the real resilience of an excellent police officer by continuing to fight. “He showed this in the money he has raised for Salisbury Hospital doing his half marathons and the support he has given to his colleagues who also went through this incident. I’m very proud of how he’s behaved, I’m very proud of him and I’m very proud of how his family have got him through. We wish Nick and his family all the very best.”
