I READ your front page article (March 11) about the Orange phone mast scheme at Yelverton and could not help but reflect on the irony of the situation.

I wonder how many of the 665 people who opposed the mast complain that they do not get good reception on their mobile phones. I wonder how many of these people have more than one mobile phone in their household. I wonder how many of them have bought mobile phones for their children to play with. I wonder how many of them realise that even when their children are not using the phone to make a call, the phone will be transmitting bursts of radiation at regular intervals as the system polls the phone.

I would not mind betting that these same people would protest against wind turbines but are quite happy to use loads of electricity in their homes; would protest if the Co-op shop at Yelverton were to close yet shop at the giant super-markets to save a few pence; would protest against extensions to airport runways but want to fly to Benidorm every year for their holidays.

None so queer as folks!

Paul Phillips

Routrundle, Samford Spiney

WHILE it has not been proven whether mobile phone masts constitute a health hazard, we must accept that this technology is with us and will continue to proliferate with great benefits for the majority of us.

The mast at Yelverton roundabout has aroused fears among local residents for the health of their children using the playpark. The alternative proposed site at the fire station was refused on aesthetic grounds, which seems to miss the point entirely, since very little was said about the potential health risks there.

If health risks are the issue then more residents would potentially suffer if the mast was built on the fire station. This building is located close to Briar Tor, the Catholic Church, and the residential area of the ?Ellas?, all of which would be under the same or similar threat as the playpark is to a mast on Yelverton roundabout.

Those residents adjacent to the fire station would in fact be subjected to higher potential radiation levels, if they are in their homes for the majority of the day, or night, whereas use of the playpark is mainly restricted to daylight hours outside school times, that is, weekends, holidays and summer evenings. Maybe the roundabout site is actually the lesser of two evils.

Arguably the greatest threat from mobile phones is when the handset is in use close to the body, this is something much harder to prevent and most of the younger sector of the population is at risk here.

Peter Bond

Harrowbeer Lane, Yelverton