Martin Curtis Picture Ref: 73428-18A FORMER airman believes Gulf War Syndrome is forcing him to give up work.

Martin Curtis, 50, from Old Town, spoke yesterday about the effects of his illness, on the day the Government came in for fierce criticism for its handling of so-called Gulf War Syndrome.

Evidence from both sides of the Atlantic was heard yesterday at the House of Lords in a final review of research into the condition.

An independent inquiry last year by Lord Lloyd of Berwick found that health problems suffered by an estimated 6,000 veterans were a direct result of service in the 1991 conflict.

It said studies carried out by the Ministry of Defence had shown that veterans who had served in the Gulf were twice as likely to suffer from ill health as those who had not.

The Government dismissed the findings after they were published last November.

Mr Curtis was based at RAF Lyneham until he was made redundant in 1993.

He flew about 20 hazardous missions on board a Hercules aircraft, transporting men and equipment behind enemy lines.

Mr Curtis, who is also a veteran of the Falklands War, has since worked at Honda in South Marston.

He said: "The report by Lord Lloyd slates the Government. It is just damning.

"The Government has acted as if it hoped the whole thing would go away.

"But if anything comes from this to bring it to the attention of the Government, that would be good."

Mr Curtis believes that a substance known as squalene, which is unlicensed for such use, could have been added to the injections servicemen were given, in order to protect them from agents such as anthrax.

It is believed to speed up the body's production of antibodies.

It is not known if squalene was added to the injections.

Mr Curtis said: "If it was added it would have attacked the nervous system. I think this did happen.

"If it had been added to the jabs, it would have been as illegal as anything could be."

Meanwhile, Mr Curtis says his health continues to deteriorate.

He said: "I'm not feeling too good.

"I am now about to give up work because of my condition."

He has been diagnosed as suffering from multiple sclerosis.

He said: "Because they say Gulf War Syndrome doesn't exist, multiple sclerosis is the only thing the doctors can come up with to describe my condition."

Dave Andrew