Police investigate nerve gas experiment

London - British police are investigating the death of a Royal Air Force serviceman nearly 50 years ago amid claims he died after…

London - British police are investigating the death of a Royal Air Force serviceman nearly 50 years ago amid claims he died after being given nerve gas as part of a government research experiment.

Mr Ronald Maddison (20) died after taking part in an experiment into the human effects of sarin, the gas that killed 11 people and injured thousands of others when a Japanese cult released it into the Tokyo subway in 1995.

The police investigation of the experiments at the Porton Down research centre in south-west England will centre on allegations that Maddison and other servicemen were duped into taking part in experiments they thought were designed to find a cure for the common cold.