Lib Dems Call For New Pylon Precautions

Bedford Borough's Liberal Democrats are not prepared to ignore the risks as new fears are raised linking cancer to overhead power cables.

"This is another chapter of confusion to add to the evidence surrounding the links between cancer and Electromagnetic fields." Said Liberal Democrat Group Leader Michael Headley "Evidence from all over the world including this country points in different directions. But I am not willing to ignore the issue and just hope for the best." "Liberal Democrats persuaded this Council to adopt a position of "Prudent Avoidance" in its last local plan, so that new houses in Bedford would never again be built beneath Power lines." Said Cllr Stuart Green "Unfortunately the government wouldn't let us and insisted on watering down our policies. Because, they said, there was not enough evidence. Four years later and we are no further forward. There is still no firm evidence either way." "We will be pressing for a strengthening of the current policy," said Michael Headley. "We must err on the side of caution. Even the Government's own Radiation Watchdog can't make up its mind whether it is safe to live near pylons or not. It would be negligent of this council to ignore the potential risks. We must take the health of the people of Bedford seriously, it would be wrong to stand impotently by setting worthless targets and doing nothing." Commenting on Professor Colin Blakeman's statements this morning on the BBC that the extra risk from power-lines amounted to one extra case of childhood leukaemia every two years in the UK Cllr Headley said. "Would the size of the risk make you feel any better if that extra case was your child?"