'Too much of a coincidence'

On the face of it, Carnarvon Road is much like dozens of other streets on the eastern edges of London. Today, however, it suddenly found itself on the health map of Britain, under intense scrutiny by a team of experts from the National Radiological Protection Board.

As they went about their work, residents gathered on their doorsteps to watch the comings and goings. The very fact that someone is, at last, taking an interest in their concerns is for many a vindication - even a victory of sorts. Because here, in one ordinary London street, is a concentration of cancer cases that no one can satisfactorily explain.

Constance Nash, 80 - a painter, retired art teacher and now president of the United Society of Artists - lives at No 12, in a house filled with canvases and artists materials.

Mrs Nash is not the sort of person to show her anger or demand instant explanations but, after 30 years living in Carnarvon Road, she simply wants to know the truth. Her breast cancer was diagnosed on Good Friday of last year and, since then, she has undergone two operations and gruelling courses of radiotherapy.

She said: "There is no history of cancer in my family, and I think it's very probable that my illness has something to do with these phone masts.

"Four out of five houses have someone with cancer - that's too much of a coincidence isn't it?"

At No 16, 49-year-old nursery school teacher Raquel Ead is also unwell - suffering from thyroid cancer diagnosed four years ago. Like Mrs Nash, Mrs Ead is reluctant to jump to conclusions but believes the phone masts are to blame.

She said: "All we want is for the council to take responsibility for its decisions. I've spend so many hours at hospital appointments - it's very stressful. When the masts first went up we were very worried. Now we simply don't know what to think."

Sebastian Shah, 50, lives directly next to the building where the mobile phones are located at No 8. Although he has not had cancer, he is so worried about the health risks that he is planning to move.

Mr Shah said: "I come from Germany, where you're not allowed to have these masts within 600 metres of houses. I am extremely concerned that all my neighbours have got cancer and I want to go."

A woman who lives in one of the four houses next to the masts, and who asked to remain anonymous, was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago.

She had an operation to remove a lump and was given radiation treatment at Bart's and Whipps Cross hospitals.

Since then she has been free of cancer but she is concerned about potential continuing health risks of living in such close distance to the masts.

She said: "I was diagnosed with cancer several years after the mobile phone masts were put up. When they went up we all thought they were television masts, and it was only after I was diagnosed that I found out they were actually mobile phone masts.

"My own feeling is - as long as there are concerns, both globally and in this street - the radiation levels of these masts should be checked out. They should also reconsider the level that is regarded as being safe.

"I think that, until they can categorically say there is no threat to our health, they should not allow mobile phone masts to be put near houses. People's health is more important than money."