The Ministry of Defence have awarded £100,000 to the family of a soldier who died after a nerve gas experiment over 50 years ago.

Royal Air Force engineer Ronald Maddison, from County Durham, lost consciousness within half an hour of the chemical Sarin being dabbed on his arm at Porton Down chemical warfare testing facility, Wiltshire.

A secret coroners inquest at the time concluded that Maddison's death was due to "misadventure. " Maddison was twenty years old when he died on 6 May 1953.

Eight of Maddison's surviving relations will receive a share of the payout. His sister, Lilias Craik, said, "The compensation will not make us rich, but it does bring this to an end. They took his life and should be made to pay for it." She added that she was pleased that the battle with the Ministry was now over.

The MoD accepted a verdict of unlawful killing due to gross negligence on 13 February 2006. Alan Care, who acted on behalf of the Maddison family, hoped that this settlement would result in compensation and recognition for the 500 veterans who claim to have suffered from the experiments.

The award has been seen as a momentous moment in legal history by many experts. It may affect servicemen claiming after being exposed to toxic agents and chemicals during the Cold War, as well as having implications for Gulf-War veterans.

Leigh Day and Co, along with Thomson Snell and Passmore solicitors, acting for 500 veterans, held a meeting on 9 May 2006, with fifty Porton Down veterans to advise them about progress in their cases. The firms will continue to jointly work on the cases.

Thousands of service personnel underwent chemical warfare tests at Porton Down from the 1940s to the 1980s. Many claim they only recently became aware of the chemicals to which they had been subjected. They state that they were told that they were taking part in trials to find a cure for the common cold and have since suffered long-term health problems owing to their exposures.

Fears that the Soviet Union was deploying nerve agents at the height of the Cold War prompted the trials. At that time, scientists argued that the experiments were essential in helping to prepare for chemical warfare.

In a short statement, the MoD commented, "We very much regret the unfortunate death of Ronald Maddison. We are extremely pleased that an amicable settlement has been reached." It made no comment about the multiple legal actions currently seeking compensation.