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Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is under mounting pressure to publish more information about servicemen used as “guinea pigs” to test the devastating effects of nuclear bombs on their bodies.

It comes after the Mirror obtained secret documents about the experiments and the devastating effect they had on veterans and their families.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has called on the Tory Defence Secretary to publish the remaining documents, and find data on the radiation doses the men were subjected to.

And he called on the government to award the surviving veterans medals for their involvement in the experiments.

He told Sky News: “There’s a reason that bomb was exploded in the South Pacific and not South London.

He added: “I think we owe them our respect. The least we can offer them is a medal.”

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

The test programme was part of Operation Grapple, Britain's campaign to build the first hydrogen bomb.

It was held on a coral island 2,000 miles south of Hawaii, where a total of 22,000 servicemen were ordered to build the infrastructure for, and bear witness to, dozens of nuclear tests.

And secret documents, published by the Mirror last night, show pilots were sent to fly through the cloud of atomic explosions in the deadly experiment.

(Image: Sunday Mirror/Collect)

According to the papers, serviceman Eric Denson, then 24 years old, was exposed to 65 years worth of normal background radiation, or 17,500 dental X-rays, in just six minutes.

And the documents show the Tory government of the time were aware that the experiment could affect the men's children.

The Ministry of Defence said last night: “It is not true to say these men were subject to an experiment to look at the effects of radiation.

"The British nuclear testing programme contributed towards keeping our country secure during the Cold War and regular health checks were conducted throughout.”