Sheep dip case to go to court

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A farmer who alleges he was poisoned by sheep dip is to be given a chance to argue his case in court.

Farquhar Forbes is part of a group attempting to sue the chemical manufacturers who put organophosphates (OP) in sheep dip.

The UK Government's scientific advisers have said that there is no proven link between OP dip and the crippling illness Mr Forbes and many others have suffered.

Mr Forbes was struck down by a mystery illness 15 years ago and was eventually housebound with severe muscle pains and chronic fatigue.

"It was desperate," Mr Forbes told BBC Scotland's Frontline Scotland programme.

"I couldn't feed myself. I had to get assistance. It was extremely demeaning."

Mr Forbes' said that he often felt like he could not go on.

"I think many people who have had this condition have had the same thoughts at some point, that they wanted to die."

His family could only watch helplessly as he got worse.

Group legal action

Mr Forbes health has improved but he wants to sue the chemical manufacturers of the organophosphate sheep dip that he, and many others, blame for their illness.

Dr Nick Bateman from the Scottish Poisons Information Bureau was chairman of a special government committee set up to investigate.

He said the link between OP dips and the illness has not been proved.

But Mr Forbes, the only Scottish farmer left in the group legal action, is convinced they can prove otherwise in court.

He and seven others will be at the Appeal ourt in London in November to argue they should get a full hearing in two years' time.

If his case is successful it will open the floodgates to hundreds of other claims by sheep farmers from all over the country.