The level of emissions from mobile phone masts in the UK is well below international guidelines, according to the latest Government research.

The Radiocommunications Agency tested 100 base station near schools last year and found that electromagnetic emissions were, in some cases, many thousands of times below exposure guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry explained that the DTI wasn’t in the position to say whether masts were safe or not.

It was merely carrying out research in response to a report published in 2000 by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones.

At the time the group concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that mobile phone technologies posed a health risk. However, it called for further tests to be carried out.

The Government said it will continue testing a further 100 masts this year to see whether mobile phone masts pose a threat to health. ®