Porton Down

Our team has many years experience and specialist knowledge in pursing claims for service members and their families.

We were at the forefront of the Porton Down litigation, which began with what was then the longest ever inquest held in England & Wales.

Overview

The War Department of the UK government established an experimental base in Porton Down in Wiltshire in 1916 for research into the use of offensive and defensive chemical warfare. This was in response to the use by the German military of mustard and lewisite gas during the ongoing First World War.

From 1940 (during the Second World War) it also became the centre of British interest in biological warfare. Armed Forces servicemen went to Porton Down to take part in non-therapeutic experiments. It is said that 20,000 servicemen attended in this way in total over the years into the 1980s.

Later, it emerged that some veterans alleged they had been 'duped' into attending experiments with mustard gas, nerve agents including Sarin variants, incapacitating drugs including CS/tear gas, psychotropic drugs including LSD and other unnamed hallucinogens.

Thomson Snell & Passmore joined forces with another law firm to prosecute group actions on behalf of hundreds of servicemen involved. Ultimately an amicable settlement was reached. Although there was no admission of liability, an apology was made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

A second wave of claims for in excess of 200 further veterans has since been made, the majority of which have now been settled.

If you or one of your loved ones has suffered a physical or psychological injury as result of undergoing such an experiment then you may be entitled to certain state benefits and possibly also, depending on the circumstances, compensation through the courts.

For further information please contact one of the team. Alternatively please click here to complete a short enquiry form so we can assess your claim.