A MEDSTEAD man exposed to chemicals at a government research centre in the 1950s and 1960s hopes that a settlement with the Ministry of Defence will be agreed within the next few weeks. Derek Shenton, 60, of Paice Lane, spoke about his 40-year ordeal. He said: "After all this time I would like some answers about what was given to me and the side effects. I hope there's a successful agreement before too long for everyone's sake." As a young airman in 1968, Mr Shenton accepted two shillings from the MoD for taking part in what he thought was research into cold remedies at the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down in Wiltshire. He was among tens of thousands of volunteers who did the tests from 1916 until the 1970s. Three hundred and sixty ex-servicemen have subsequently taken group action against the government, many of them having suffered a lifetime of ill-health, including skin conditions and psychological problems, as a result, they claim, of taking chemicals, including the deadly nerve agent, sarin. The MoD has offered a total of £3million in compensation and an apology. About 90 per cent of the ex-servicemen have agreed to accept £8,300, among them Mr Shenton, but the MoD has not yet paid out any money because others have not signed or cannot be traced.