A FORMER soldier from Redditch is suing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over its failure to protect him from contracting Q fever in Afghanistan.

Wayne Bass, a private from the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, said his life has been ruined after serving in Helmand Province in 2011 without being given antibiotics by the Army.

Humans can catch Q fever after breathing in dust from the faeces of infected farm animals such as sheep, cattle and goats.

The NHS says the bacterial infection is “usually harmless, but can cause serious problems in some people”.

Speaking to the BBC he said he often gets breathless, has aches and pains all over his body and has to take very powerful painkillers.

"The nerve pain in my lower back and legs means that my back can lock up and I'm immobile," he said.

"On a less bad day it can take 45 minutes to walk 600m."

The former soldier, who is unable to work, added that it has brought about a spike in his post-traumatic stress disorder and he feels very low and depressed.

It is the first case to test the MoD’s duty to protect against Q fever, said Hilary Meredith Solicitors, the firm acting for Mr Bass.

The five-day trial, at Central London County Court, will examine the extent of any duty owed by the Army to Mr Bass in relation to Q fever, and whether that duty was breached.

Justin Glenister, partner at Hilary Meredith Solicitors, said: “This is the first case in which the question will be asked whether the MoD had a duty to protect soldiers against this known risk of Q fever, which we say was a preventable risk, and what steps it ought to have taken to protect them.

“There are other similar cases being prepared.”

The MoD said it was inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings were ongoing.