Gulf veterans 'suffer worse health'

Gulf War veterans are more likely to become ill - and suffer more severe symptoms - than other servicemen and women, say scientists.
Illnesses have been linked to exposure to drugs, pesticides and oil burning fires, in the study of 14,000 servicemen and women by the University of Manchester.

The greater the exposure, the higher the apparent risk of illness.

It adds weight to concerns that the Gulf War may have left veterans with a legacy of ill health, although the Ministry of Defence still says there is no such thing as "Gulf War Syndrome".

Lead researcher Dr Nicola Cherry told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the findings would be presented to the MoD.

"We must make sure that this doesn't happen to veterans in future, that we know what we are doing and make sure that people take care of these issues we have identified," she said.

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