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It was originally set up in 1916 as a site for testing chemical weapons. The laboratory's task was to research into the use of chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas which were thought to be used in the First World War.
In the mid- 1950s, work concentrated on nerve agents and tests were carried out on servicemen to determine the effects of nerve agents on humans, with one recorded death due to a nerve gas experiment. There have been persistent allegations of unethical human experimentation at Porton Down, such as those relating to the death of Leading Aircraftman Ronald Maddison, aged 20, in 1953 who thought he was taking part in trials to cure the common cold, but was subjected to the nerve agent sarinIf you are looking for the finch, see Serin Sarin or GB (O-Isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) is an extrememly toxic substance that is one of the world's most dangerous weapons of war. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destructi being dripped on to his sleeve and later died as a result. There have also been allegations of covert links between Porton Down and the Common Cold UnitIn Britain, the Common Cold Unit (CCU) was set up by the civilian Medical Research Council (MRC) in 1946 on the site of a former military hospital, the Harvard Hospital, at Harnham Down near Salisbury in Wiltshire. Its aim was to undertake laboratory and. All of these allegations have been denied by the Ministry of Defence.
As of 2004, Wiltshire police are carrying out an investigation, Operation AntlerIn July 1999 the UK Wiltshire Constabulary opened an investigation into allegations of malfeasance at Porton Down Chemical and Biological Research Establishment. As a consequence of these preliminary investigations the scope of the inquiry was broadened i, into these allegations; no prosecutions have yet followed from the investigations.
Most of the work carried out at Porton Down has to date remained secret, and the UK Government have been criticised for not revealing the true extent of the research that was carried out on unwitting servicemen.
A second inquest on Ronald Maddison was finally commenced in May 2004, after many years of lobbying by his relatives and their supporters. [1]
Until 2001 Porton Down was part of the UK government's Defence Evaluation and Research AgencyThe Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (normally known as DERA , then Britain's largest science and technology organisation, was a part of the UK Ministry of Defence until July 2001. DERA was then spilt into two organisations: a commercial firm, Qinet. DERA was spilt into QinetiQQinetiQ is a British military technology company, created out of the greater part of the government agency DERA when it was split up in 2001. When QinetiQ was created, the announcement by Defence Minister Lewis Moonie said that company would become, and r, initially a fully government owned company, and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). DSTL incorporates all of DERA's activities deemed unsuitable for the privatisation planned for QinetiQ, particularly Porton Down.
The current official name of Porton Down is Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down.
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