All five Bradford district MPs have come together with an appeal to the public to stop the spate of vandalism of mobile phone masts and attacks on workers installing them.
They have issued a joint statement:
“There has been a worrying rise in attacks on mobile phone masts, and even on telecoms engineers themselves, in the Bradford area in recent months. At a time when there is more need than ever for people to stay connected to their loved ones over the festive period, it is extremely important that no more masts are vandalised.
“These attacks can cause network outages, leaving thousands of people unable to access critical 3G and 4G services. There is also a risk that vandalised masts, particularly those that have been set on fire, could be a danger to people if they collapse. These attacks are the result of simple vandalism and conspiracy theories linking 5G to coronavirus and other illnesses. These theories are completely unfounded and the Government, Public Health England and the World Health Organisation have all made clear that there is no evidence suggesting a link between these radio waves and any ill health effects.
“Attacking mobile masts has significant consequences for phone signal in the local area, with the potential to disrupt critical services or leave vulnerable people isolated. We want everyone to stay connected this Christmas. We are therefore asking the people of the Bradford district to please be vigilant and alert the police if you see any signs of suspicious activity around phone masts.”
