COUNCILLOR Derek Boden (Letters, August 14) alleges that my earlier letter was inaccurate.

He says: "There is no evidence of any effects on health from mobile phone masts . . . " This sweeping statement leaves me astounded.

As far as I know there is not a single scientist or scientific body whose research on the effects on health from mobile phone masts has been universally accepted one way or the other. Many countries, including America, Australia and New Zealand, acted many years ago on their own governments' research and banned them in residential areas. Yet Coun Boden would seek to dismiss any perceived danger without producing a shred of convincing evidence.

Incidentally, Coun Boden, I have never said that Bury Council has a financial incentive in granting permission for mobile phone masts to be built. I have said that your Labour Government masters have a vested interest and I have said that Bury's Labour-controlled council obey their wishes in this regard. However, I have never accused Bury Council of making money out of giving prior approval to the application by Vodafone in the Woolfold area.

I have omitted the issue of mobile phones because I wanted to keep the issues of masts and phones separate. But since Coun Boden has raised it, I will comment.

He has actually understated the danger of young people's brain cells being slowly baked in a similar way to microwave cooking. He has in mind the First and Second generation of mobile phones. I am mindful of the latest Third Generation ones which require stronger signals and emit higher intensity of radiation.

What is this about "slagging-off"? This is the preserve of the political parties. What I do is make constructive criticisms. In the case of the Woolfold transmitter mast application I am, indeed, very critical of the disregard Bury Council has shown for the European Precautionary Principle (Maastricht Treaty 1993).

My constructive suggestion is for the council to revoke its approval of the application in the interests of the health of the people who live, in particular, in houses between 30 and 125 metres from the mast site at Bury Van Hire. Many are living in the beam of maximum intensity for every minute of every day, completely unprotected from the pulsing radiation emissions from the mast in Whitelegge Street.

Why, I wonder, is there an almost complete absence of factual information given by the Government to parents about the dangers of mobile and cordless phones? These are the very same people who -- to quote Coun Boden -- "neither see any noticeable ill-effects in their own children nor hear of any in other people's children". The Stewart Report recommended that "the widespread use of mobile phones by children should be discouraged".

So, why isn't its perilous effect on health publicised in equal measure with the hazards of passive smoking? Is the answer that the Treasury receives billions of pounds from the mobile phone industry?

Finally, I wonder just how many councillors are willing to endanger the health of their children or grandchildren by living within 250 metres of a mobile phone transmitter mast.

DAVID H. FOSS,

Layfield Close, Tottington.