DETERMINED campaigners have vowed to continue their battle to have a telephone mast moved - despite being told they have no chance of winning the war, writes Vivienne Francis.

Concerned residents from the Leeds Road area of Otley and Town Councillor Nigel Francis vowed to form an action group after a fruitless discussion with mobile communications company One 2 One.

Barry Turner-Smith, a One 2 One public relations officer, attempted to allay residents' fears about alleged health risks of the mast, positioned in the Auction Mart on Leeds Road, in a private meeting - but told them it would not be moved.

And Mr Turner-Smith has admitted that he has failed in his attempt to persuade residents that radiation levels of the mast were well within safety limits.

He said: "They all still have concerns. We had a very frank discussion. I used some reports to show that we do not think there are any health and safety risks as far as the masts are concerned.

"I also told them we would come and do some emission tests which was well

received."

But Coun Francis was unimpressed with the meeting - from which the press were excluded at the request of One 2 One.

He said: "Barry Turner-Smith told us that he cannot say that there is no risk at all. We do not want a risk factor. Nobody has put a child in front of a mast and continually bombarded it with low radiation for 15 years - we do not know the effects."

The group is hoping to prove that the mast is over 45 feet - which would mean that it required planning permission - and will continue to lobby Leeds City Council saying that there was no thorough consultation with residents.

They are also considering working with the auction mart to have it removed.

Adam Pritchard, prospective Conservative candidate for Leeds North-West, who is also backing the campaign, said: "There is no chance that we can get the mast moved. But they are not going to take that assurance as a point to stop.

"There is no way they are going to give up."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.