A FORMER Colchester schoolboy who is central to solving the Anglo-Russian diplomatic crisis previously warned of “crises which occasionally change the course of history”.

British ambassador to Russia, Dr Laurie Bristow, has remained in Russia as 23 UK diplomats were ordered to leave the country within one week.

That order came after the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in Salisbury, which led to the UK expelling 23 Russian diplomats.

Dr Bristow, who was appointed as ambassador in 2016, is now a central figure for the UK Government as it seeks to calm relations between the two countries.

The 54-year-old, a former pupil at Colchester Royal Grammar School, spoke almost prophetically in an article for the school’s alumni publication, the Colcestrian Magazine, in December.

In his article, he wrote: “What does an Ambassador do all day?

“There are no typical days and days in Russia don’t always go according to plan.

“The job is about influencing and persuading people on things that matter to us.

“You can’t do that if you don’t get out and meet the people who make or influence decisions, if you don’t understand the country you are in, or the country you represent.

“The job also involves dealing with the unexpected. Crises blow up and have to be dealt with.

“Sometimes they affect only a few people.

“Occasionally they change the course of history.

“Russia has has a habit of producing big surprises.”

Following a meeting with the Russian foreign ministry, Mr Bristow said: “This crisis has arisen as a result of an appalling attack in the UK, the attempted murder of two people using a chemical weapon developed in Russia and not declared by Russia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons as Russia is obliged to do under the Chemical Weapons Act.

“The Prime Minister set out a number of measures which we took to defend ourselves against this type of attack.

“We gave Russia the opportunity to explain how the material got to Salisbury and we asked Russia to declare that material to the OPCW.

“Russia did neither, therefore, we announced certain steps.”

Fellow old Colcestrian Colonel Richard Kemp, who was in charge of British Army forces in the invasion of Afghanistan in 2003, said his former school pal would be “walking a tightrope”.

He said: “He is a very accomplished diplomat and he will know there is every chance he could be back in Russia down the line but there is no doubt he will be going through a lot of uncertainty.”