Plans for mobile mast to press on

A mobile phone company has said it will continue with plans to build a mast close to three schools in a Nottinghamshire town.

Almost 1,000 residents in Southwell have signed a petition against the phone mast, saying they are worried about the health implications.

But phone company O2 said there was no evidence mobile phone masts caused health problems.

Residents said they had not been properly consulted over the plans.

'New technology'

"This is a very sensitive area being so close to the schools and there is legislation that mobile phone operators are encouraged to follow to ensure a proper consultation is done," said Southwell campaigner Catherine Harriss.

"This is a relatively new technology and until we have sufficient information to say there definitely isn't a risk, then a precautionary approach should be incorporated."

But O2's community relations manager Andrea Johnson said proper consultations had been carried out.

"This site has been chosen carefully because it is 150m away from the nearest school which, in terms of radio frequency, is a very long distance.

"A lot of masts are actually on schools...and there is no scientific evidence of any risk associated with mobile phone masts."

Ms Harris said residents would continue to fight the plans and were taking their campaign to the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate the claims a proper consultation was not carried out.