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Clouds of secrecy - reconstruction of men in suits

Read whistle blower Mike Kenners's story

Clouds of secrecy

In the 1950s as the Cold War escalated, there were fears that Britain as an exposed, vulnerable island could be devastated by a biological or chemical warfare attack.

Ministry of Defence scientists from Porton Down in Wiltshire wanted to investigate how easily a huge cloud of deadly germs could spread across the country.

Between 1953 and 1964 top secret trials were carried out using a chemical concoction of zinc cadmium sulphide to simulate how a cloud would disperse biological agents.

The unsuspecting population was sprayed covertly with the poisonous compound at least 76 times.

Read whistle blower Mike Kenners's story

Aerial spraying?

Aerial spraying took place a number of times over Norwich at night in 1963.

But it was not only Norfolk that was turned into an outdoor laboratory at this time.

Inside Out discloses the virtually unknown fact that large areas of Bedfordshire were sprayed out of the top of a converted lorry.

Co-ordinated by Porton Down scientists at RAF Cardington, the surrounding villages and their inhabitants were subjected to chemical emissions at least 55 times over a six year period.

Specially modified weather balloons were used to collect the samples.

The Ministry of Defence has consistently said that there was no significant health hazard as a result of the experiments.

In Clouds of Secrecy, the Inside Out team investigates the facts and deceit about what happened, particularly in East Anglia, and concludes that much of the truth is at odds with the official line.

Cadmium is a poisonous heavy metal.

The zinc cadmium sulphide was not tested for toxicity prior to the experiments and this is now officially admitted to be a 'deficit'.

A report from Porton Down in 1967, four years after the trials stopped, states that short-term exposure to cadmium affects the respiratory system in humans.

High doses of cadmium over long periods of time cause bone and kidney problems and lung cancer.

These admissions have never been acknowledged in recent enquiries.

Declassified information

Using information obtain under the Freedom of Information Act, we reveal from declassified files that cadmium was used because it was cheap.

But the secret files also admit that it was unreliable. Accounts of sampling were underestimated by a factor of 100 times due to environmental pollution and the inefficiency of the dispersal of zinc cadmium sulphide.

Casting new light - recently released files on spraying

This toxic compound was considered safe to use because it fluoresces strongly when exposed to UV light and therefore be detected at sampling devices positioned around the country.

The Norwich experiments came to light in 2000 after an investigation into the activities of Porton Down.

This led to two reviews - one by DERA, the privatised evaluation arm of the MoD and another by an independent body comprising toxicologists and environmentalists led by a professor from Cambridge.

Both reports concluded, although not unreservedly, that there was no significant risk to human health.

Researcher Mike Kenner, who carried out the original FOI investigation, said:

"I find it incredibly difficult to understand that the so-called jewel in the crown of the British scientific community which is Porton Down would think that is was okay to spray a toxic material like cadmium sulphide over the population of Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire. It beggars belief."

Independent inquiry

Inside Out has discovered that the independent inquiry did not study the later Norwich trial reports when making their safety assessment.

More alarmingly they did not take into account any experiments done at Cardington in 1963 when there was a mass release of cadmium from a lorry.

Some of the National Records were not available to Professor Lachmann from Cambridge at the time.

The story resurfaced last year after Wyn Parry, a thoracic surgeon at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, highlighted an upward trend in cases of throat cancer.

It was taken up by MPs Ian Gibson and Norman Lamb who demanded a public inquiry.

Mr Parry said the industrial use of cadmium was now heavily regulated:

"It has been known for some years that cadmium is related to some disease."

Of the germ trials, he said:

"I think if they were aware of the full spectrum of risks, it was probably questionable at very best."

Family cases

Yvonne Jarman, from Norfolk, is one of the family cases which have been investigated.

Her mother, sister and brother have all died from throat cancer and she says she wants more answers.

"Even if they said it was good for the nation how good could it be for people to have this poisonous substance blown in the wind over them."

Looking for answers - Yvonne Jarman

"If people knew what cadmium is there would certainly have been objections," she said.

A Department of Health-led investigation this year found that while cancer figures in Norwich are not higher than the national average, they are raised in Norfolk.

This prompted a small-cluster inquiry conducted by Imperial College which last month confirmed that the incidences of throat cancer were raised in Norfolk, but concluded that the levels were NOT significant.

Despite this finding, MP Ian Gibson said he'll continue his calls for more answers.

North East Bedfordshire MP Alistair Burt has also taken up the case as a result of the BBC documentary.

Professor Lachmann, who carried out the independent scientific study for the Ministry of Defence five years ago, said:

"We came to the conclusion that no-one is likely to have suffered any harm from the amounts of zinc cadmium sulphide they might have encountered in the worst scenario during that period."

Read whistle blower Mike Kenners's story

Web links

Cadmium
DERA
Wikipedia - Cadmium
Wikipedia - Chemical Warfare

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