A NEWPORT farmer says his life was ruined by chemicals the government insisted he treated sheep with to kill parasites.

Stephen Forward, from Undy, is calling for an apology and an independent inquiry after he used the compulsory chemical dip twice a year for 13 years.

Farmers were prosecuted if they did not treat their flocks with organophosphate dip, used to prevent the disease ‘sheep scab’ until 1992.

Mr Forward, now aged 53, claimed: “It’s a very effective pesticide – it kills everything, including the people using it.”

Every summer and autumn from 1979 he would bathe sheep in the dip, standing over them for hours at a time and breathing in the toxic fumes. When he first used the dip around 40 per cent of the sheep passed out and didn’t revive for several minutes, he said.

He says he now suffers from pins and needles, chronic fatigue and pain to the extent he cannot even walk around his local supermarket. He also battles with intermittent depression and anxiety.

The pesticide was first developed as a chemical weapon and can cause harmful effects in the same way as nerve agents like sarin, but the government denies low level exposure to the chemicals can cause permanent harm.

Flu-like symptoms flared up after using the dip, Mr Forward said, but he didn’t connect the problem until reading an article about the potential dangers in Farmer’s Weekly, years after he first used the chemicals aged 17.

After finding out he said he went straight to his GP, and later to the poisons unit of a hospital in London where a blood test showed he had lower than normal levels of acetylcholinesterase enzymes.

Before being exposed to the dip he said he was “as strong as a horse” and could pitch 300 bales of hay by hand, but he lost his strength and had to go on incapacity benefit.

Mr Forward, who never married and says socialising has been difficult due to his disability, has not worked a full day since 1996 although he helps out on his dad’s farm when he can.

“The government needs to hold their hands up and say, ‘Look, we’ve made a disastrous mistake’”, he said. “We deserve an apology. It’s an absolute scandal.”

Newport East MP Jessica Morden demanded answers from the government about at least 500 suspected cases of sheep dip poisoning during a debate in parliament yesterday.

She said there was “absolutely no doubt” in her mind that Mr Forward’s illness was caused by poisoning, but he was one of the few victims to have medical evidence in the form of blood tests.

“It’s difficult to dip sheep without getting covered with the solution as well as inhaling it and swallowing it,” she said.

“Mr Forward’s symptoms have been devastating. He was often bedridden for weeks.”

She said his medical records were lost, which appeared to have also happened to other victims, and he had to push for months to get copies directly from the National Poisons Unit at Guy’s Hospital.

“Farmers were never told during the time it was compulsory that sheep dip might be dangerous or to wear protective clothing,” she said.

Labour MP Ms Morden added some airliners were facing legal claims regarding toxic air circulating in cabins containing the same chemicals, which may have caused pilots and cabin crew to develop medical problems.

She said sufferers believe the government must have known about potential dangers before mandatory dipping stopped in 1992.

The government should make all documentation public and set up a totally independent inquiry to get to the bottom of this, she said, adding that constituents like Stephen Forward deserved an apology.

Rural affairs minister George Eustice, answering the debate, said the evidence did not suggest sheep dip had caused long term health problems in farmers.

He admitted that overt poisoning from organophosphates could cause symptoms similar to tetanus but said 22 scientific investigations since 1999 did not find a link with low level use of the chemicals in sheep dip. The government had already spent £4 million researching the issue, he said.

He said a copy of the 1991 report from the Health and Safety Executive would be placed in the Commons library and he would be happy to meet with sufferers.

NFU Cymru President, Stephen James said: “The Union and a number of other organisations have spent a lot of time trying to establish a causal link between health problems and use of organophosphate (OP) sheep dips – there doesn’t seem to have been one and the court proceedings were thrown out. If this inquiry does lead to more information being made available and a better understanding of the issue or more science to support the claims, then we would welcome it.

“NFU Cymru would welcome any research into alternatives to OP products.”