THE bones of thousands of dead babies were used for Government nuclear weapons tests without their parents' permission, it has been revealed.

Scientists raided the mortuaries of North-East hospitals for bones which were then crushed to dust and analysed for radiation levels in the atmosphere.

MPs yesterday called for a full-scale inquiry and condemned the callous actions of the Medical Research Council (MRC) as outrageous and arrogant.

The bones of as many as 3,400 dead children up to the age of five were used between 1955 and 1970.

Hospitals all over the country were plundered in an attempt to find out the levels of radioactive isotope in the atmosphere.

The isotope, thought to have fallen in rain, acts like calcium and builds up in the bones of children.

The claims were made by Sheila Gray, secretary of the British Nuclear Test Veterans' Association, who wrote to Prime Minister Tony Blair demanding answers.

The written reply from the Ministry of Defence claimed: "No bodies of babies of body parts were used during the trials."

However, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, on whose behalf the MRC acted, has admitted the claims are true.

A spokeswoman said: "Yes, we did these experiments on bones from babies and children at the time of the atmospheric nuclear bomb tests.

"At the time there was concern about the effect this radiation might have on our own population.

"We have no evidence parents were consulted and we have to admit they probably were not."

Labour MP for Blyth Valley, Ronnie Campbell, said: "We need to have an independent inquiry to open up this can of worms and find out precisely what happened."

Ms Gray said many women married to nuclear test veterans lost their babies.