EuropeSouth AsiaAsia PacificAmericasMiddle EastAfricaBBC HomepageWorld ServiceEducation
News imageNews imageNews imageNews imageNews image
BBC Homepagelow graphics version | feedback | help
BBC News Online
News image You are in: UK: Wales
Front Page 
World 
UK 
Northern Ireland 
Scotland 
Wales 
UK Politics 
Business 
Sci/Tech 
Health 
Education 
Sport 
Entertainment 
Talking Point 
In Depth 
AudioVideo 
News image Sunday, 28 November, 1999, 15:08 GMT
Ex-servicemen 'duped' into toxic experiments
Porton Down Porton Down is the subject of a police probe

Welsh ex-servicemen who were "duped" into taking part in chemical warfare tests at Porton Down claim they are now ill as a result of the experiments.

They have told BBC Wales's Eye on Wales programme they were enticed into being guinea pigs at the Porton Down research centre by being offered both more pay and extra leave.

They had no idea they would be taking part in experiments involving highly toxic substances, they said.

Now, decades later, Wiltshire police are conducting a wide-ranging investigation into Porton Down centred on the death of airman Ronald Maddison.

Interview refused

Mr Maddison died at the research centre after being given the nerve agent Sarin in 1953.

Porton Down, which is now run by the Government's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), refused to be interviewed about the claims.

Research material provided for the BBC Wales programme stated that tests would not have taken place if any long-term risk to an individual's health had been envisaged.

News image
News imageSearch BBC News Online
News image
News image
News imageNews image
Advanced search options
News image
Launch console
News image
News image
News imageBBC RADIO NEWS
News image
News image
News imageBBC ONE TV NEWS
News image
News image
News imageWORLD NEWS SUMMARY
News image
News image
News image
News image
News imageNews imageNews imageNews imagePROGRAMMES GUIDE
News imageNews image

Internet links:
News image
News image
News image
News image
News image

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
News image
Links to other Wales stories are at the foot of the page.
News image
News image
E-mail this story to a friend

Links to more Wales stories



News imageNews image