With only 3 police forces turned onto the new Emergency Services Radio Service 'TETRA' it has emerged that 173 Officers in the Lancashire Force and 20 in the Yorkshire Force have now fallen ill as a direct or indirect result of using the new radios, it is asserted that of these 20 are considered to be serious. From the very beginning there have been concerned raised by academics and organisations such as Mast Sanity and its parent organisation the Campaign for Planning Sanity that the new system was unsafe and untested. These alarming figures that are due to be updated in the next few days puts a clear question mark over continued use of the entire system.

With a question mark over the Manchester forces continued use of the system after its recent withdrawal due to technical problems, coupled to the refusal of he majority of Ambulance and Fire Authorities to take up the system. Mean there are real questions to be asked over the Governments 2.5 billion pound funding.

Mast Sanity Chair Chris Maile said "These significant levels of health effects on officers although mainly consisting of minor ailments such as nose bleeds and headaches must put a serious question mark over the service. And requires a Ministerial statement that the system will be suspended until further investigations are undertaken. It is vitally important that our police officers are protected from the adverse effects of untested equipment. Especially as this effects have been known for some time, and were clearly pointed to in the report by the renowned scientist Barry Trower commissioned by a South West branch of the Police Federation'.

Mast Sanity will be raising these concerns with the Home Office in the near future. In the mean time we urge restraint in the implementation of the continued role out of the system. And that measures are put into place to halt further use of the equipment until such time as a clean bill of health can be given to all officers, and members of the public.

EDITORS NOTE: More info from Chris Maile on 0161 959 0999. The issue will be raised with MPs at the AP Telecommunications meeting on Wednesday 17^th July in London, where the Mast Sanity TETRA co-ordinator will be looking to persuade MPs to raise the issue with a question in the House (further media release to follow).

Barry Trower - Author of report on TETRA commissioned by the South West Police Federation - 01626 821014 - Which concluded that within 3 to 4 years there would be 310 reported cases of illnesses, 1 year into the launch and we have half these figures. He also believed that there would be 4 to 5 cancers, so far it is believed there are 2 (one breast and one brain).

The following is taken from the March 2002 edition of the Police Federation Magazine letters page:

I am writing to you to express my concern and amazement at the report by B Trower that is circulating freely in the Lancashire Police area regarding TETRA radio.