A NATIONAL charity based in Radcliffe is celebrating the success of its first major rally.

Mast Sanity, which campaigns against mobile phone masts, organised the rally in London.

Chairman Chris Maile, of Outwood Road, said: "It brought together communities from all regions, all with the same simple message: give local communities a fair say on phone mast installations.

"One company alone is putting up 4,000 installations without permission being applied for. Other companies are putting up unlawful developments knowing that it is rare for enforcement action to be taken against them, therefore the message is give local residents a fair say before masts are installed."

The rally in Trafalgar Square included experts and speakers from the main political parties.

Mr Maile told the assembled crowds: "Up to 50 per cent of all base stations are installed by processes that do not involve the local planning authority. The majority of local authorities fail to take health into account despite several court orders saying they must. The problem does not lie with Tony Blair, but with John Prescott, therefore I urge all local communities to lobby him until he finally starts putting the concerns of the public before big business."

A delegation delivered a document to Downing Street setting out many of the concerns of the mast movement, which had been drafted in consultation with the 900 local community groups that make up Mast Sanity.