Call to curb masts near to schools; HEALTH: Euro MP's fears over mobile phone risks.

Byline: Duncan Gibbons

MOBILE phone companies are coming under increased pressure from Euro MPs to stop building masts near schools and houses until the potential hazards to health are clearer.

Some scientists believe the electromagnetic radiation produced by phone masts can cause cancer, fatigue and migraines in people living and working nearby.

Now Warwickshire Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne has called on the European Commission to do more to "dramatically reduce" the amount of mobile phone mast radiation people are exposed to to avoid a health timebomb in the future.

Only last month Vodafone won planning permission to keep a 30m high mast at Jaguar's Whitley site, despite objections from 500 residents.

Ms Lynne, chairman of MEPs Against Cancer, said: "With the explosion in demand for mobile phones we have seen a huge increase in the number of mobile phone masts springing up around both the UK and the rest of Europe, but many experts are now raising serious questions about the long term health effects of these masts.

"There is more and more evidence that ten, 15 years down the line there may be serious side effects from the use of wireless technology due to the electromagnetic radiation these devices emit.

"In light of this, I think it is very important that we are far more careful about where we put mobile phone masts.

"We need more precautionary measures to ensure we are not flooding schools or residential areas with radiation that may turn out to be doing damage." The Mobile Operators Association, which speaks for phone companies, said there were now 74 million mobile phone connections in the UK compared to nine million a decade ago.

A spokesman said: "This rapid growth has been accompanied by a perception that exposures to radio waves may pose a health risk.

"The balance of evidence from research to date suggests this is not the case."

CAPTION(S):

CONTROVERSIAL... a mobile mast and (right) MEP Liz Lynne.