A town councillor is preparing to go to prison in his fight to stop a telephone mast from going up close to his Otley home.

Councillor Nigel Francis has pledged to fight to the bitter end plans by Mercury Personal Communications to put up a 15-metre high mast next to Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart in Leeds Road.

Coun Francis, who lives at nearby Pearson's Buildings with his wife Diane and four-month-old baby, Callum, says not enough research has been carried out to prove telephone masts are safe.

And he is determined to stop the mast from being built until his fears have been fully answered.

He said: "If it goes up, it will never function, I will personally destroy the thing and I am prepared to go to jail over it.

"I am totally opposed to the siting of these masts within any location where there us a danger to human life.

"Until the mast companies can prove these things are safe I don't think they should be allowed to build them."

Last week, Mercury Personal Communications was given the go-ahead to put up the mast, microwave dishes, and equipment cabin by Leeds City Council's development control panel (West).

The application was brought before the panel as a late item because new guidelines say planning authorities are given just 42 days to comment on mast applications under 15 metres and outside conservation areas.

In addition, the proposed mast fell within permitted development rights because of its height and location, which meant Mercury did not actually need the approval of the council.

Coun Francis is also annoyed that the town council - which has strongly opposed masts in the past - was not given the chance to comment on the Otley Road application.

"I think it's absolutely disgusting and a sham. I knew nothing about it and I am just not going to tolerate it," said Coun Francis.

He added: "I have no objection to masts, but if they are going to site them, they should put them in a corner of a field away from anyone."

At last week's meeting, Councillor Phil Coyne (Lab, Otley and Wharfedale) said he reluctantly agreed to the mast being sited in Otley but added that the town council should have been able to comment on the plan.

A spokeman for Cable and Wireless, which runs Mercury Personal Communications, said work could begin on the mast as soon as planning notification is received. She said notification had not yet arrived.

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