TAXPAYERS in Wiltshire face a £250,000 bill to pay for a high-profile inquest early next year into the death 50 years ago of a national serviceman, during tests involving human guinea pigs at Porton Down.

It follows an extensive police inquiry, Operation Antler, into the death of RAF Leading Aircraftsman Ronald Maddison at the top secret establishment in 1953.

At the end of the investigation, the crown prosecution service decided to take no further action but an inquest into LAC Maddison's death is to be reopened.

The inquest, to be held at Trowbridge town hall, was scheduled to start next week but it has now been adjourned until the New Year.

According to a report for county councillors from corporate services director Peter Smith, the cost of preparation for and conduct of the inquest will be about £250,000, with the county council contributing £140,000 and Swindon borough the remainder.

Mr Smith said the unexpected expenditure would upset the budget - met by the two councils - for the coroner David Masters this year.

At the same time, outside help has had to be recruited to cover for Mr Masters while he has been working on the inquest papers. Other costs to be met will include the hire of stenographers, expenses for the jury and witnesses and the additional hours worked by the coroner.

The Porton Down inquiry has attracted interest from all over the world and, three years ago, the Home Office was asked to release extra resources to help Wiltshire police cope. At the time, the chief constable, Dame Elizabeth Neville, called on home secretary Jack Straw to acknowledge the scale and national importance of the investigation, which involved 16 officers, including two from the defence ministry police, working full-time.

She also said that more than 700 calls had been made to the operations centre at police HQ in Devizes, and there have been many since then.

The investigation into allegations of the treatment received by personnel at the Wiltshire chemical and biological centre began in July 2001.

The inquiry was launched following a number of allegations that illness and premature deaths occurred as a direct result of participation in experiments at Porton Down.

The inquiry also covered the circumstances surrounding the death of LAC Maddison, who died while taking part as a volunteer in experiments at the Porton laboratories.

Allegations were also made by former RAF serviceman Gordon Bell, centring on his claim that he had suffered from long-term debilitating illness which he attributed to the experiments.