Witty ditty bid to lift gloom surrounding Novichok city.

Byline: ALAN SELBY

IT'S no Novichok of the pops - but it aims to get Salisbury back in the swing.

A local band's new single aims to boost the city which has lost visitors since the Skripals poisoning in March.

The June death of Dawn Sturgess from nerve agent in a perfume bottle left streets even emptier.

Now Pete Aves and the Manuals aim to lift the gloom with lyrics like "Please come to Salisbury town/ We're waiting for you so don't let us down" and "We could go to the square, the market is there/ If you buy a peach then I'll pick a pear."

The cathedral gets a mention: "We can climb up the spire and as we get higher/ We'll see all the places where old folks retire".

Pete said: "I'm trying to cast Salisbury in a more positive light." The Ballad of Salisbury Town is on Amazon as a download, with proceeds for the homeless.

CAPTION(S):

MAYBE COME BACK? Pete