Picture Ref: 77390-61PARENTS fear plans to build a mobile phone mast that would loom over a school playground could affect their children's health.

Vodafone hopes to submit an application to Swindon Council to put up the 12-metre mast in Hay Lane, opposite Tregoze Primary School playground.

The firm is currently consulting with local people before making an application and, if the council gives it the go-ahead, the firm wants to put up the mast by March 2006.

Last night school governors met with parents to discuss their concerns.

The chairman of governors, Mark Tielemans, said: "The majority of parents who returned the questionnaire we sent out about the mast are against it, which is no great surprise.

"Their concerns are about health issues.

"People will say that they were told 30 years ago that tobacco was safe and that electricity pylons were safe.

"Why should they believe the mobile phone masts are safe just because the Government says so?"

But he thinks the height of the mast may lessen any health risks.

"The mast is high because it must reach above the tall trees that would be alongside it," he said. "I have read that the higher the mast is the further away the radio waves hit the ground.

"If the waves don't hit the ground until it has passed over the playground then that is slightly reassuring."

He and the other governors have agreed to support parents if they decide to protest against the mast.

"If the parents are unhappy about the mast then we will object to it in the strongest possible way and we will help parents with their campaign," he said.

Samantha Clarke, 38, has two children at the school, Imogen, seven and Emily, ten.

She said: "I think every parent should be worried about this.

"Apparently we can't object against the mast on health grounds but that is what most parents are going to be worried about.

"I also think it will devalue all the homes in the area. Nobody will want to live near a mobile phone mast."

Tammi Cleverly, 34, is mum to Ashlee-Rae, seven and Braedon, ten.

She said: "I am worried about how the mast could affect the children's health, definitely.

"I expect most parents will object to this and health issues will be their main concern."

Karen Kelly formed the protest group Mothers Against The Mast to fight against plans to put up an O2 mast in Akers Way, in Moredon.

She has pledged her support to the parents at Tregoze if they choose to protest against the mast.

"To expose children to this sort of radiation is absolutely dreadful," she said.

"I was shocked when I found out they were planning to put up a mast by the school."

Vodafone spokesman Rob Matthews said: "We are currently in a pre-application consultation phase, which means that we have consulted with the school.

"We are awaiting the feedback from this meeting.

"Each Vodafone site is designed to be compliant with stringent international exposure guidelines.

"These guidelines are endorsed by independent international bodies such as the World Health Organisation.

"Measurement by Ofcom of the exposure level at schools where base stations are sited nearby have shown exposures are many hundreds of times below these international exposure guidelines."

Diana Milne