The organiser of a military show has denied that gas canisters involved in a major health alert came from his event.

Rex Cadman, who runs the annual War and Peace Show at the Hop Farm Family Park, near Paddock Wood, said: “I am totally confident that these have not come from the War and Peace Show. I am adamant that they cannot have come from this site.”

Police said today that the show was one of their lines of inquiry after the canisters were found at Richborough recycling plant in Thanet on Monday night. One man, who claimed he felt ill after coming into contact with the substance, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital, Margate, but was understood to have later discharged himself.

Mr Cadman said both the show’s military re-enactment groups and its stall holders were checked daily for inappropriate materials during the four-day event which ended on Sunday.

“We are very tough on this,” he added.

Mr Cadman said he had not been contacted by Kent Police about the incident.

In a statement, Kent Police said no-one other than the man had reported any problems and that the recycling depot had now been declared safe.

The cannisters have been taken away for independent analysis to Porton Down, a government agency in Wiltshire.