Farmer wins legal aid for sheep-dip battle
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 36-YEAR-OLD farmer has been granted legal aid to take action against two suppliers of controversial sheep dips.
Gary Coomber blames the organophosphate dips, which come from the same chemical family as nerve gases, for years of ill health, including a cardiac arrest.
The move comes amid growing controversy over OPs, which have been blamed for a wide range of health problems, from multiple sclerosis to depression.
It is seen as having important implications for others who claim to have suffered as a result of exposure to organophosphates. An estimated 500 people have blamed ill health on such exposure.
Mr Coomber's lawyers, Leigh, Day and Co, confirmed that legal aid had been granted. It is not known when the writs will be served.
"We are delighted that we have been granted legal aid and I expect the writs to be issued shortly," Mr Coomber said.
He was exposed to OP dips on his farm in Kent between 1988 and 1991. He says his health suffered seriously; he was admitted to hospital and he had to be resuscitated after his heart failed. He still suffers some health problems as a result, he says, of that exposure.
Meanwhile, a psychiatrist treating more than 20 farmers has urged the withdrawal of OP dips.
Dr Bob Davies, consultant psychiatrist for the Avalon NHS Trust, has written to the Chief Medical Officer about his patients, and says that if the OPs were a pharmaceutical drug, they would have been withdrawn.
He said: "All the OP-exposed farmers that I have interviewed have been on the verge of killing themselves, and then for various reasons have drawn back from the brink."
He says in his letter that the degree of suicidal thinking is dramatically higher compared to other psychiatric patients.
Mr Davies goes on: "I am sure that if this were a pharmaceutical agent, such a weight of evidence would result in its withdrawal from the market. I find it difficult to understand why the same criteria are not applied to environmental toxins."
He said yesterday: "The Government's position is that there is no proof. I have to dispute that. There are a number of reasons to suppose that OPs are directly associated with disorders of mood."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments