A SOUTH East MEP has backed a suspension of the use of depleted uranium weapons.
Fears have been raised over the health effects of the shells, with tests to be done on British veterans who served in the Balkans and the Gulf War.
As reported in Saturday's Daily Echo Hampshire sailor Mark Hyde died last November of a rare form of cancer after serving on board HMS Manchester in the Gulf, and also in the Adriatic.
His parents Colin and Janet, from Hedge End, have appealed for a proper investigation to be carried out into such deaths.
Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Huhne was involved in a Strasbourg debate calling for a block on the weapons while an investigation is started.
Mr Huhne said: "There is a growing public concern about the risk of depleted uranium and a co-ordinated investigation by medical experts has to be the way forward.
"No one can be reassured by the contradictory statements from the British Ministry of Defence, especially as there are leaked documents detailing suspected lung, lympth and brain cancer risks appearing to date back to 1993.
"If the Ministry of Defence knew that the Americans were ending the use of depleted uranium weapons for health reasons, why did this not ring alarm bells in Whitehall?"
The motion was passed by 394 to 60 with 106 abstentions.
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