Ailing RAF man takes action after Record probe
A FORMER RAF man is suing the MoD following a Daily Record investigation into rare cancer clusters among veterans.
Michael Boyd claims working with a “toxic soup” of chemicals at a Scots airbase in the 80s caused him to get the disease.
The 55-year-old was exposed to lethal carcinogenic solvents while working as a “squipper” – specialists who repair aircrew survival equipment – at RAF Kinloss.
He claims he and his mates operated in poorly ventilated bays with little or no protective clothing at the Moray base.
Now he hopes to prove his time there is solely to blame for his incurable non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Michael’s action against the MoD will be heard in the Queen’s Bench Division at the Royal Courts of Justice, in London, next month.
A key witness in the hearing is a former Scots Guard who first exposed the scandal.
Les Mason, of Dundee,
BY JAMES MONCUR teamed up with the Record in 2016 to highlight the plight of dozens of squippers who were all hit by very rare cancers.
Les, who has been nominated for awards for his work with veterans, described the significance of Michael’s case.
He said: “It’s the first and could set a precedent for other servicemen and women in similar situations.
“The tragedy is I know of 100 cases of veterans with very rare cancers but many of them won’t ever have their day in court.
“They have either passed away or are extremely ill. All they or their families want is justice – it can’t be too much to ask.”
A spokesman for the Royal Courts confirmed that five days have been set aside for the case.
Michael, of Oxfordshire, served as a corporal from 1987 to 1990 and is claiming the RAF recklessly exposed him to toxic substances and failed to take responsibility for his condition.
The dad of four, who was unavailable to speak about the action last night, has previously said: “Most of my days at Kinloss were spent up to my elbows in chemicals, I just want someone to admit what happened.”
“Chemicals were swirling around – the only thing we didn’t do with them was drink them. I’m angry because if they had taken proper precautions I wouldn’t be in this situation.
“It is not just about me, but all the lads. No one ever warned us of any risks and we’re suffering the consequences.”
Four years ago, we told how 26 of them were hit by lifethreatening illnesses after repairing safety gear in the 80s and 90s. But that figure jumped to 40 after publication.
All those affected are in their 30s, 40s and 50s and worked at bases including Lossiemouth, Leuchars and Kinloss.
Last night, the MoD said: “The health of our personnel and veterans is of paramount importance and policies governing the use of hazardous substances are strictly enforced.”