AN inquest has concluded that York army veteran Terry Walker’s experiences during the first Gulf War could have played a part in his death.

Pathologist Dr Stuart Hamilton told the hearing there was no evidence Gulf War Syndrome had brought on the heart condition, and subsequent transplant, that led to the Wheldrake man’s death.

But he said he could not rule out the former Lance Corporal’s experiences in the Middle East in 1991 as a causal factor in the weakening of the organ’s muscles, although it was most likely to be a virus.

Mr Walker, a father-of-two, was 48 when he died in June, 2007, at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle.

The inquest heard how he was deeply affected by his army experiences, feared he had been exposed to biological weapons, suffered from stress and gained up to eight stone in weight after leaving the military.

Newcastle coroner David Mitford recorded a narrative verdict, in which he said: “He had no known history of significant heart disease prior to April, 2007, although subsequent examination of his native heart revealed scars, which may be significant and are difficult to date.

“The cause of the cardiomyopthy remains unclear, but evidence suggests that it could have been contributed to by various factors which include virus and effects which may arise from army services in the Gulf War in 1991.”

Dr Hamilton said the medical cause of death was because of the transplant and a blood clot that caused part of the lung tissue to die.

Mr Walker’s parents, Ted and Hazel, also of Wheldrake, welcomed the coroner’s verdict and called for more support for war veterans.

Mr Walker senior said: “Both Hazel and I have waited over three years for the inquest to take place to bring closure to our grief.

“We acknowledge that a great deal has now been subsequently done to support veterans of the second Gulf War and the Afghanistan War. However, there are many more veterans of the first Gulf War who have been left without support.”