FEARS OVER radioactivity levels on Dalgety Bay beach have been played down by an RAF veteran who fitted the luminous aircraft dials blamed for the problem.

Albert Gunn (84) worked at Donibristle Naval Air Base after the war from 1947 until 1957, removing instruments and installing new parts on planes.

Discarded or damaged pieces were burned and the ash tipped out along the coast, but unknown at the time, paint on the dials contained harmful radium.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) began a five-day test for radium from the paint along the shore on Monday and have detected six particles of radioactivity so far.

Mr Gunn said, “I worked at the base after the war and regularly removed and fitted the luminous dials that they are now finding traces of on the beach.

“We were never told that they could be dangerous in any way and parts that were to be replaced just got thrown in the bin with the rest of the rubbish.

“It was when the base closed and everything was broken up or burned that contamination might have spread.”

A similar study was done two years ago but the search area has now been widened to cover an area the size of five football pitches, stretching over a mile of coastline.

Mr Gunn added, “I have never been concerned about my health and I worked on the planes there for years.

“I am now 84 and would describe myself as being in good health, so I don’t think the contamination is something people should worry about.”

SEPA will release a report next week detailing the findings of the study.