A FORMER serviceman has told how he was tricked into taking part in a series of horrific experiments, which included having liquid nerve gas dripped on to his arm at Porton Down military research centre.

David Baram, 71, of Bramley Garth, in York, served with the Coldstream Guards for three years before joining the RAF which he served for 19 years.

While serving in the RAF in the early 1960s, he volunteered to help with research at Porton Down, in Wiltshire.

He was told scientists were searching for a cure for the common cold, although they were actually developing and testing different nerve gases.

Mr Baram said: "We volunteered to go for a week from Sunday to Sunday. They dripped nerve gas on our inner forearms and then treated each with a different ointment, some which worked better than others." He said he still has a faint mark on one of his arms where the ointment did not help heal the wound.

Other experiments included Mr Baram being put into a darkened room with other servicemen and told to close his eyes as it was "the only natural deterrent against what they were going to put in".

The volunteers were then told to hold on to a rope balustrade with one hand and guide themselves around the room for around 20 minutes.

He was also ordered into a room with a gas mask on and then told to take it off as gas filled the room.

Mr Baram said: "We thought we were helping with the common cold like everyone else."

For his trouble he was paid £7 - around three weeks' wages in the early sixties. He said he feels conned by the Government.

The Press reported on Monday how Sidney Butler, of Heworth Green, York, took part in a two-week trial at the Wiltshire military research centre during the 1950s as part of his National Service, but he is likely to receive nothing.

Mr Baram said he hasn't experienced health problems which could be directly attributed to his time at Porton Down, and was not part of the class action that is being taken against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by 360 Porton Down veterans, including Strensall pensioner, Sam Smith, a former sailor.

Around 90 per cent of those veterans have agreed to accept compensation of £8,300 each from the MoD, plus an apology.

A spokesman for the MOD said the case was still ongoing and it could not comment until after proceedings were finished.