Nuclear test veterans to be honoured with medal after campaign

Veterans who took portion successful the UK's atomic investigating programme volition person a caller medal aft years of campaigning.

About 22,000 veterans volition beryllium eligible for the Nuclear Test Medal, introduced to people 70 years since the archetypal test.

Downing Street said the honour commemorates the contributions made by veterans, scientists and section employees from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Kiribati.

A work is being held astatine the National Memorial Arboretum connected Monday.

The announcement comes aft groups including the Labrats International foundation spent respective years campaigning for atomic trial survivors to beryllium recognised.

Mr Sunak described the medals arsenic "an enduring awesome of our country's gratitude" for those progressive successful the trial programme.

He said: "Their committedness and work has preserved bid for the past 70 years, and it is lone close their publication to our safety, state and mode of beingness is appropriately recognised with this honour."

The premier curate volition articulation Veterans' Minister Johnny Mercer and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace arsenic families commemorate veterans astatine the National Memorial Arboretum lawsuit successful Staffordshire connected Monday.

Mr Mercer said: "This medal honours those who served acold from home, astatine a important clip successful our nation's history."

Those who worked nether UK bid during tests astatine the Montebello Islands, Christmas Island, Malden Island and Maralinga and Emu Field, South Australia, betwixt 1952 and 1967, volition beryllium capable to use for the medal.

It tin besides beryllium awarded posthumously to veterans' families.

Downing Street said the archetypal awards volition beryllium made adjacent year.