The British Government says the two Russians suspected of being behind the poisonings in Salisbury have 'insulted the public's intelligence' by claiming they were just normal tourists.
The pair are accused of trying to kill former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the Novichok nerve agent.
Authorities in the UK have claimed the two suspects are Russian military intelligence officers.
In an interview on Russian state TV, however, the pair said they were in Salisbury to see the Cathedral and Stonehenge.
Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov told RT: "Our friends have been suggesting for quite a long time that we visit this wonderful city.
"It’s a tourist city. They have a famous cathedral there, Salisbury Cathedral. It’s famous throughout Europe and, in fact, throughout the world, I think. It’s famous for its 123-meter spire. It’s famous for its clock. It’s one of the oldest working clocks in the world."
Explaining why they briefly visited Salisbury one day before returning the next, they claimed the 'whole city was covered with slush' because of snow.
They added that they've had their 'whole lives turned upside down'.
British Security minister Ben Wallace says if they really were tourists, they should hand themselves in.
He claimed: "The best things these two individuals can do, if they've got an alibi, is present themselves to the court and we will try them fairly."
Downing Street, meanwhile, dismissed the claims by the two men as "lies and blatant fabrications".
