British face claims of ‘Gulf Syndrome II’

THE British Government was facing growing criticism last night over claims that four soldiers who received multiple vaccinations before the Iraq war could be suffering from a potential “Gulf War II Syndrome”.

Stephen Cartwright, 24, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, and Tony Barker, 45, from Leeds, were among the four men threatening to sue the Ministry of Defence after suffering “severe physical and psychological symptoms”.

Their solicitor Mark McGhee said all four had received multiple inoculations in one day, contrary to Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon’s statement to the Commons earlier this year.

Mr McGhee, of Manchester-based law firm Linder Myers, said: “It is my understanding that specific guidance was given to medical officers that these inoculations were not to be administered on a multiple basis”.

Mr Hoon told MPs in January that “a key lesson” learnt from the 1991 Gulf War was the importance of ensuring troops should not receive a number of different vaccinations in a short timeframe.

Mr McGhee, who has dealt with more than 400 veterans from the first Gulf War, said the symptoms reported by the four soldiers were “identical” to those of so-called Gulf War Syndrome. Symptoms included stomach pains, aches, swelling, rashes, depression and anxiety.

He said the men would decide whether to seek compensation after undergoing clinical assessments and gathering further evidence.

“At the moment they are considering what avenues are available to them,” he said.

“They have suffered quite severe reactions to the inoculations but we can’t say whether or not we are going to go for compensation yet.”

Charles Plumridge, senior co-ordinator of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association (NGVFA), said two of the four soldiers did not end up being deployed because they suffered such bad reactions.

He said Mr Cartwright, a Royal Engineers reservist sapper, developed a severe rash, swelling and fever.

The father-of-one spent four days in isolation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and did not get deployed to the Gulf. He has since been discharged from service.

The two other soldiers, who have not been named, are still serving and are based in Germany.