A FORMER RAF officer has called for a Government investigation into Gulf War Syndrome which he claims has ruined his life - despite not serving in the 1991 war.

David Bratley, of West Hanney, is convinced 17 injections he had over 17 days before he was due to be deployed are the cause of 19 years of chronic health problems.

The 60-year-old said: "I am calling for a proper inquiry into these injections and a proper investigation by the British Government into the disease.

"The injections made me ill and then it snowballed from there. And I know there are other people in the same position as me.

"The Government has never offered me any treatment. They do not look after people, they just use and abuse."

Thousands of war veterans suffer from the mysterious disease, which has plagued them with a life-time of fatigue, rashes and sleeping problems since they returned from combat.

Mr Bratley, who is a self-employed photographer, was diagnosed with a series of symptoms experienced by troops who served in the Middle East.

But he said: "I am certain, absolutely certain it was the injections. I have not been right since. At the time they said I would feel ill over the weekend, I think that was a bit of an understatement.

"It was too much for the immune system to take. All of them together and they just blew a fuse."

The father-of-three never served in the Gulf because military chiefs decided not to deploy more troops to the area.

He was vaccinated against diseases like tetanus, diphtheria, polio and meningitis between January 11 and January 28 1991, aged 43, while stationed at the RAF Careers and Information Office at Sheffield.

Mr Bratley became ill immediately and his symptoms have remained the same ever since.

He said: "The symptoms are the same now as they were then. I cannot lead a normal life and I cannot work a full-time job.

"I am tired all the time. I need to sleep a lot, probably about 12 hours a day, but I do not wake up feeling refreshed.

"It is very frustrating because I was as fit as a fiddle before. I was in the army and RAF for 22 years. It was the finish of me as a person."

US research this week found evidence linking the health problems suffered by Gulf War veterans to pesticide exposure and nerve agents.

Halifax-born Mr Bratley does not deny these could be factors, but urged the Government to investigate the injections.

Only three of his injections are logged on Ministry of Defence (MoD) records and Mr Bratley is convinced the Government has something to hide.

However, Paul Leat, an MoD spokesman, said the ministry was aware the injections were an area of concern among some veterans.

But he insisted "overwhelming evidence" from their research showed the combination of vaccine and tablets had no adverse health effects.