By Dave Lord

CAMPAIGNERS AGAINST a controversial mobile communication system claim dozens of residents of a Perthshire town are suffering acute health problems due to their prox- imity to a telecommunications mast.

The vast majority of respondents to a survey organised by the Comrie Action on TETRA (CAT) group reported illness including rashes, itchy skin, disturbed sleep and headaches.

CAT is now calling for a ban on the system, which is used by the emergency services.

The Comrie mast is located close to the local primary school and campaigners claim to have found persuasive evidence that the technology is unsafe.

“TETRA is affecting the health of the community in Comrie,” a CAT spokesman told The Courier yesterday.

“Comrie has a population of around 1800 and Comrie Action on Tetra has carried out a health survey of 1000 households. The results appear to show that many people are already suffering negative health effects.”

The spokesman said it was “particularly alarming” to note that people within a mile radius of the mast were more likely to be affected.

“Surveys were handed out and col-lected by local volunteers and in total 167 households responded,” he said. “Of these, 118 people said they thought they were being affected in some way or other by the mast.”

Most common health-related problems reported were disturbed sleep (91) followed by headaches (61), rashes and itchy skin (35) and dizziness (25). Other people noted unusual nosebleeds and other symptoms.

Of 69 respondents living within a mile of the TETRA mast, 47 reported negative health effects compared to 22 reporting no noticeable effects. “Of 80 households over a mile away, only 21 reported negative effects while 59 said they were not affected,” the spokesman said.

“If TETRA was not responsible for the health problems reported, it would have been assumed there would be no obvious difference based on distance from the mast.”

In the light of the results, the proximity of the mast to Comrie primary school is causing renewed anxiety.

“It is hard not to conclude that TETRA is having a negative effect on the quality of life of many in this community,” the spokesman said.

“Of particular concern is the proximity of the mast to the primary school where children who live in the village spend their days.

“We also believe that many people who are being affected have not filled in the survey forms and that there is still more to uncover. There is a sense that people try to manage problems like headaches and disturbed sleep and just make the best of it.”

CAT called for more to be done in a bid to stop the roll-out of TETRA.

“We would urge the Scottish Executive, health boards, and any relevant regulatory bodies to take a serious look at this now,” the spokesman said. “How many other communities throughout the UK are affected, and why are most politicians and media so quiet and complacent about this?

“It should not just be left to individuals and families to cope and manage these problems into their daily lives. They should not be expec-ted do so quietly and compliantly.”

The Comrie survey was carried out over the first few months of the year, around six months from the time that the TETRA mast was switched on.

Last night O2 Airwave, the company behind the mast, poured scorn on the survey’s findings.

“I wonder if this was a scientific study,” said communication manager Ray Weldon. “If you ask questions like this you are bound to get a certain amount of ticked boxes.”

Mr Weldon denied that the health problems described had anything to do with proximity to a TETRA mast.

“People who make surveys like this can get the answers they want by the way they ask the questions,” he continued. “TETRA is a safe techno-logy—that is why it has been adopted by police forces across the UK.”

Mr Weldon added that “numerous” scientific studies had been carried out and that TETRA had not been found to pose any particular health risks.