NO suspects have been identified in any attacks in recent years on 5G and other phone masts in Bradford, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. 

Over 50 per cent of attacks between the start of 2019 and the middle of this year in West Yorkshire happened in Bradford, including four in one month alone.

Major concerns have previously been raised about attacks on 5G masts in the city, with Three taking the step of writing to MPs and the Council last year over the issue.

Peter Gilson, Director of Radio Access Networks at Three, told the Telegraph & Argus: “Clearly from a financial aspect, it’s a problem.That’s secondary from my perspective. The most important part is the health and safety of the people of Bradford.

“When you burn down a mast, it’s not specific to 5G, it’s one of our masts, what happens is you’ve got a large piece of metal there.

“Firstly it’s up in flames, it’s been attacked and damaged, which creates the problem of, potentially, some parts of the metal being loose and falling either during the attack and hurting somebody who’s actually involved in the attack, or later on, a passer-by walking past can get smacked on the head.

“The risk of death is there.”

West Yorkshire Police insisted all attacks are taken “very seriously” and said work is ongoing around crime prevention solutions.

Data from the force shows that between January 2019 and July this year, there was a total of 29 attacks, be it arson or criminal damage, on telecommunication masts in the county. 

Just one of those happened in 2019, with a surge to 19 in 2020 and the first attack of that year happening in March.

In the height of the coronavirus pandemic, UK mobile network providers warned against the spread of “baseless” conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G.

Nine attacks were recorded in 2021 between February and the end of July. 

And of the 29 crimes recorded by West Yorkshire Police in the period the data covers, 16 happened in Bradford. 

Others were recorded in Halifax, Huddersfield, Pontefract, Featherstone, Dewsbury and Leeds.

In May 2020, a mast was attacked in the Wibsey area where a fire was lit at the bottom which then spread further up and caused “significant damage”. 

There was then an incident in the BD8 area of the city in June last year, where a screw driver was used to damage the door of the mast. The data then shows a spate later in the year. 

In September, there were four arson attacks on masts in Bradford alone, with three of those in the BD3 area of the city. 

In one, the suspects are said to have attacked the rear box of a 5G tower, prised it open and place panels of wood inside before setting it on fire and making off from the scene.

Yobs then unleashed another arson attack the following month in the BD8 area.

There was then another in November in the BD5 area, plus two criminal damage incidents in the BD4 area.

December then saw another arson attack in Bradford, where a rag was torched and then thrown inside the bottom of a 5G mast, forcing witnesses to attempt to extinguish the flames by pouring water on the fire.

There was then a further four criminal damage incidents and two arson attacks in 2021 in the period the data covers. 

Mindless vandals struck again last month, when a 5G mast on Trinity Road, Little Horton, was torched in a late-night attack.

Detective Chief Inspector Fiona Gaffney, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “The deliberate damage to these types of masts can be very dangerous – for nearby residents and those committing the serious offences. 

“Attacks can also pose a significant risk to the road network and we treat these incidents very seriously.”

She added: “We ensure that every attack is promptly and thoroughly investigated and we are working with our key partners in industry to explore crime prevention solutions.

“Work also remains ongoing in the community to prevent attacks and ensure robust action is taken against those responsible when attacks do occur.

“I would appeal directly to anyone with information about any such attacks to contract police.”