Homes tested for chemical menace

The base was originally a World War I munitions factory

Nearly 100 homes in Gloucester are to be tested for chemical contamination.

Developers have already cleaned up some pollution left behind by the military at Quedgeley, close to the RAF's former base.

Problems on the site included heavy metals, chemicals, asbestos and radium on what was originally a munitions factory in World War I.

The contamination is due to the military practice of burying or burning waste materials on site.

After tracing the line of contamination, council officials say it could extend under homes built in Naas Lane between the world wars and in the 1950s and 60s.

They will also check for landfill gas due to the proximity of the former Waterwells Tip, which continues to produce methane.

A spokesman for the city council said that in both cases liability was clear and would not fall on the homeowners.