A NEW book says that illegal chemical weapons were made in Hereford.

The claim that Britain broke the Geneva Protocol, which the country signed up to in 1925, by manufacturing gas weapons is set out in The History of Rotherwas Munitions Factory, Hereford.

Author John Edmonds suggests there is evidence to show how laws were broken in the inter-war years during a time of upgrading at the Hereford industrial estate.

Mr Edmonds said: "It makes one wonder what international weapons inspectors would have made of this if there was a certain reversal of roles in recent years?"

The in-depth book starts with the estate's military beginnings in 1916 and continues until the change to civilian use in the 1960s.

The prominent role of women at Rotherwas is also explored and shows the changing attitudes of society towards them.

A series of explosions, from relatively small mishaps in 1940 to the major blast in 1944 that killed 81 people, are recounted.

A number of photographs help illustrate the stories and bring back memories for the remaining Herefordians employed during the war era at Rotherwas.

The History of Rotherwas Munitions Factory, Hereford, by John Edmonds, is available from Logaston Press, at £9.95. For more information call 01544 327344.