A FORMER sailor from York who claims he was used as a guinea pig in chemical warfare experiments finally looks set to receive compensation - half a century later.

Sam Smith says he has suffered from chest problems and watering eyes ever since he took part in research in the 1950s at the Ministry of Defence's chemical research centre at Porton Down, Wiltshire, after being led to believe he was helping to find a cure for the common cold.

The Strensall pensioner told The Press in 2006 how he was one of about 360 former servicemen involved in a group legal action against the Government.

Now the MoD is widely reported to be ready to pay out £3 million in compensation to the 360, equivalent to just over £8,000 each.

The BBC said that about 90 per cent of the ex-servicemen had agreed to accept the award.

The MoD told The Press it could not confirm the reports, saying: "The parties are engaged in a mediation process which is not yet concluded, the details of which are confidential."

Leigh Day & Co solicitors, who together with Thomson, Snell & Passmore solicitors are acting on behalf of the 360 service veterans, said the parties were engaged in a mediation process to seek to resolve the claims. "The mediation process has not yet concluded and the details are confidential," said a spokeswoman.

Mr Smith was unavailable for comment, but he told in 2006 how he had been serving on the Ark Royal when a request was made for volunteers to come forward to take part in research.

"We thought it was a jolly," he said. "We thought we would get away for the week in cushy barracks, and maybe get some decent steak for dinner. We were given a weekend at home as well.

"We didn't know what we were letting ourselves in for. I had never heard of Porton Down. We were bribed. We were conned. I think it's disgraceful. We were there for a week. They put mustard gas on our skin with an eye dropper. There was a large object like a glass beehive with an air lock and they exposed us to nerve gas."

He said he and other servicemen also stood on the ground on Salisbury Plain while a plane flew by overhead, spraying them with a red liquid.