Trio admit possession of mustard gas at old RAF base
The highly noxious substance was found in Lincolnshire woodland.
Three people have admitted possessing the chemical weapon mustard gas at a former RAF based used in the Second World War.
Martyn Tasker, 39, Michaela Tasker, 31, and Stuart Holmes, 50, were arrested after containers filled with the highly noxious substance were discovered in Lincolnshire woodland in October 2017.
At Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, the trio all admitted possession of mustard gas canisters and discharging mustard gas into fresh inland waters.
Police declared a major incident after the canisters were discovered on the former RAF Woodhall Spa site at Roughton Woods.
Bomb disposal officers had to be called in and further testing was carried out on the substance at the Government’s specialist Porton Down military research laboratory in Wiltshire.
The highly dangerous gas, a chemical warfare agent, causes severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and lungs of those exposed, and was used during the First World War.
The Taskers, both of Longdales Road, Lincoln, and Holmes, of Witham Road, Woodhall Spa, were granted unconditional bail and will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
