London - Uranium-tipped shells linked to cancer in veterans of the Balkan conflicts have been used on firing ranges in the UK, the British Ministry of Defence confirmed. Investigations are under way in Italy and Portugal after a series of deaths of servicemen who came into contact with the shells fired by NATO in Kosovo and Bosnia.
But use of the weapons on ranges at Eskmeals, Cumbria, and Solway Firth in Scotland since 1990 has been monitored by the Health and Safety Executive, which found no evidence of risk to troops, civilians or wildlife, an MoD spokeswoman said.
Government ministers are to be called before the House of Commons Defence Committee on Wednesday to explain what they are doing about fears the shells may have caused illness among British servicemen. The move follows the announcement on Friday by the UN Environment Programme that it had found traces of radiation at eight sites in Kosovo hit by the NATO shells.