[2] Others who claimed they were wrongfully convicted on Skuse's evidence include Ann Gillespie, a native of Donegal, who served almost 10 years of a 15-year sentence for conspiracy and explosive charges after a bomb exploded in a home she and her sister were visiting in Manchester.
[3] As an employee of the Home Office North-West forensic science laboratory, Skuse helped investigate the Summerland Fire.
[6] In 1981 and 1982 line managers at Chorley forensic science laboratory referred to a deterioration in the performance of Skuse and in January 1983 he was removed from reporting cases to court.
[8] Days after the TV programme, the Home Office retired Skuse,[9] aged 51, from the Civil Service on the grounds of "limited effectiveness".
Contaminants suggested included laboratory detergents used to wash the test containers and some soaps and lacquers, as well as the nitrocellulose polymer used on playing cards.
In March 1993, Skuse, wishing to prove he had not negligently misrepresented to the court, won an appeal allowing him to sue Granada TV for libel over the World in Action programmes.
[17] Skuse's total legal bill was estimated at £290,000[20] In May 1995, his solicitor, Peter Carter-Ruck, commenced proceedings for £130,000 in unpaid fees.