Sutton Coldfield Public Meeting – Key Scientific Warnings
Date: 20 July 2003
Organised by: SCRAM (Seriously Concerned Residents Against Masts)
Attendance: Over 200 people
Chair: Andrew Mitchell MP
Panel of Speakers
♦ Professor Gerard Hyland
♦ Dr Grahame Blackwell
♦ Professor Lawrie Challis
♦ Dr Michael Clark
♦ Alasdair Philips
♦ Dr J Rao
♦ Campaigners Lynn Insley and Eileen O’Connor
♦ Barrie Trower
Historic Context
On 20 July 2003, following reports of a cancer cluster in Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, a landmark public meeting was held at Sutton Coldfield Girls’ Grammar School, organised by Seriously Concerned Residents Against Masts (SCRAM). Around 200 members of the public attended, including scientists, medical professionals, campaigners, and local residents. The meeting was chaired by Andrew Mitchell MP and filmed for posterity.
♦ The event brought together independent experts to discuss emerging evidence of health risks linked to mobile phone masts.
♦ Coverage by the Sutton Observer, Sutton News, and Birmingham News helped raise awareness and engage the community.
Editorial note: The meeting was filmed and the footage is preserved in a private archive. The quotes and audience questions are based on verified verbatim notes from the meeting.
Opening
♦ Eileen O’Connor opened the meeting, sharing experiences of cancer clusters and emphasising the importance of acting early and assessing risks carefully.
♦ She discussed the cancer cluster in Wishaw and highlighted a cluster of cancer in Northern Ireland, noting that these were among many similar clusters.
♦ She urged attendees to listen carefully, draw their own conclusions, and act early rather than wait until it was too late.
♦ Image – Eileen O’Connor
References / Further Reading
♦ Eileen O’Connor and the Wishaw Mast (2002, Sutton Coldfield, England) – Presentation on the cancer cluster observed in Wishaw, detailing illnesses in residents and connections to long-term exposure to the local mobile phone mast. Download Presentation
♦ **Eileen O’Connor’s Advocacy and Contributions – Overview of campaigns, research, and public engagement on EMF safety, including work with SCRAM, the EM Radiation Research Trust, and the International EMF Alliance. View Contributions
Key Speakers and Scientific Warnings
Professor Gerard Hyland
♦ Accelerated cancer development: Exposure may speed up cancer progression by affecting melatonin production and interfering with apoptosis, the programmed death of pre-cancerous cells.
♦ Weak signals carry risk: “There is the same amount of information in a weak signal as in a strong one,” showing that intensity alone does not determine biological impact.
♦ Pulsed frequencies matter: Pulse repetition rates used in mobile telephony can resonate with biological rhythms and disrupt protective mechanisms.
♦ Precautionary exposure limits: Hyland endorsed limits far below official guidelines, referencing the Salzburg Resolution.
Illustration from the meeting:
♦ Hyland shouted “I’m in Sutton Coldfield” and then whispered the same phrase, demonstrating that weak signals can carry the same informational content as strong ones.
♦ Image – Professor Gerard Hyland
References / Further Reading
♦ Professor Gerard Hyland – Non-thermal mechanisms of electromagnetic fields, Lancet, 2000
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673600032438/abstract
Dr Grahame Blackwell
♦ Addressed health concerns related to Tetra and mobile phone mast radiation in response to Professor Challis.
♦ Highlighted that current guidelines address only thermal effects and do not account for non-thermal biological responses observed by many people.
♦ Highlighted measurable non-thermal biological responses, including DNA strand breaks and heat shock protein release.
♦ Quote: “Within a few hundred metres of a Tetra or phone mast, the body is exposed to thousands of times more photons than from sunlight, even on a bright day. While sunlight is familiar to the body, this radiation is an unfamiliar signal that penetrates directly into the skull and can overwhelm chemical processes in the brain.”
♦He concluded with a dramatic demonstration, ripping up a paper labeled “ICNIRP Certificate” to symbolically reject guidelines he saw as inadequate.
♦ Photo – Dr Grahame Blackwell
References / Further Reading
♦ Dr Grahame Blackwell – Presentation at RRT 2008 Conference:
https://radiationresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/011625_blackwell-1.pdf
Breath of the Cosmos, author page
https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Grahame-Blackwell/author/B08VJH5BM7?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Tetra Discussion and Police Concerns
Chairman of West Midlands Police Federation
♦ Stated that approximately eight and a half thousand officers in the West Midlands were shortly to be issued with Tetra phones.
♦ Expressed concern for officer health, noting that a common denominator in what had been said by Professor Challis and Dr Clark was that mobile phones cannot be considered as safe.
♦ Questioned why the government was rolling out Tetra to 125,000 officers, describing this as 125,000 guinea pigs nationally and more than 8,000 in the West Midlands alone.
♦ Asked Professor Challis and Dr Clark to ensure the safety of the system.
Professor Lawrie Challis
♦ Explained that he did not have the power to stop the government rollout and described himself as an independent scientist advising the government.
♦ Compared mobile phones and Tetra phones, noting that all systems fall within international guidelines.
♦ Emphasised the difference in pulsing at 17.6 hertz and that ongoing experiments were focused on this.
♦ Crucially, stated that while they did not feel the system was more harmful, although they could not categorically say that it was safe.
Dr Grahame Blackwell Responded to Challis
♦ Reiterated that health concerns were shared by a large number of people, including many chief constables.
♦ Highlighted that current guidelines address only thermal effects, while Tetra exposures present non-thermal biological concerns.
Image – Professor Lawrie Challis
Professor Challis, a scientist who advised the government on health risks from electromagnetic fields, emphasised that while current evidence does not show harm, he could not categorically state that base station emissions or mobile phones are safe. His comments highlighted that people living near phone masts are subjected to radiation without any choice or consent, even though its safety cannot be guaranteed.
Concluding slide: “No evidence that emission from base stations produces adverse health effects. Cannot rule out the possibility that they do.”
Audience Observations
Female audience member
♦ Raised a question regarding reported ill health effects from Tetra.
♦ Noted that within two months, 220 officers had experienced health effects and that approximately 70 were considering legal action.
♦ Emphasised that these effects were non-thermal and consistent with reports from other communities near Tetra or phone masts, including local residents who experienced headaches, hallucinations, and nosebleeds following a Tetra mast trial in Dursley, Gloucestershire.
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♦ Barrie Trower
♦ Warned: “Our NRPB, our government scientists, some of our government and the industry may be responsible in years to come for more deaths in peace time than all of the terrorist organisations ever.”
♦ Emphasised that Tetra frequencies resemble low-level weapons frequencies capable of affecting brain function and personality.
♦ Explained that 16 pulses per second applied to the brain can cause injury and alter personality.
♦ Criticised longstanding governmental neglect of these risks, reporting that he had raised concerns with the Home Secretary for over twelve years.
♦ Photo – Barrie Trower
References / Further Reading
Barrie Trower, Physicist and Microwave Weapons Expert
♦ TETRA and Police Health Concerns – Barrie highlighted his concerns regarding TETRA technology used by the police and discussed the comprehensive report he authored in September 2001 for the Police Federation: The TETRA Report
♦ TETRA: A Critical Overview into the Death of Officer Neil Dring – An important analysis of risks associated with TETRA systems: Read the report
♦ Mobile Phone Addiction and Harm – Barrie discussed the potential risks of mobile phone use, particularly for children: Read the article
♦ From Zygote to Foetus: Electrically Induced Phase Transitions from 5G – A detailed exploration of 5G exposure and its impact on development: Read the paper
♦ 5G and Wi-Fi Concerns – Barrie also shared insights from his public talk at Exeter Phoenix: Watch here
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Alasdair Philips – Powerwatch UK
♦ Explained that exposure to mobile phone mast radiation has increased millions of times over background levels in the past fifty years.
♦ Advised reducing mobile phone use and using landlines where possible, noting that masts can only handle about 120 calls in any one direction at a time.
♦ Photo – Alasdair Philips
References / Further Reading
♦ Alasdair Philips – Key papers on non-ionising radiation and EMF exposure
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09553002.2024.2435329
Co-author of IGNIR – International Guidelines on Non-Ionizing Radiation: https://ignir.org
Director of UK Powerwatch since 1988: www.powerwatch.org.uk
Related publication: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6035820/
Audience Questions
Eileen O’Connor – SCRAM Chair
♦ Spoke about potential biological effects of radiofrequency radiation.
♦ Highlighted a video that reported on cancer clusters in Cape Cod, noting that 45 per cent of women in areas near masts had been affected by breast cancer.
Lynn Insley – SCRAM Vice-Chair
♦ Challenged Dr Rao regarding white blood cell changes observed in Wishaw, where levels dropped near the mast and increased further away.
♦ Warned that councils could be placing themselves in a precarious position, citing Swindon Council as an example.
♦ Discussed Letters of Notice issued to T-Mobile and Crown Castle, comparing them to asbestos liability.
♦ Photo – Lynn Insley
Conclusion
Eileen O’Connor concluded the meeting by noting that Lloyds of London would not insure the health of workers or consumers.
She had been released from hospital on the very day of the meeting after undergoing another operation. As one of the residents affected by the Wishaw breast cancer mast cluster, she did not think she would make it, but she was determined to be present for this historic event. The day served as a personal test, reinforcing the vital importance of paying attention to early warnings and the grave consequences of ignoring or obstructing scientific advice.
Why It Matters Today
♦ The Sutton Coldfield meeting remains highly relevant over twenty years later.
♦ Discussions covered cancer clusters, non-thermal biological effects, pulsed radiation, weak signals carrying significant information, and gaps in official safety guidelines.
♦ The insights continue to inform precautionary approaches and public health considerations as wireless technologies expand into homes, schools, and workplaces.
♦ It was a tense, pivotal moment, underscoring both the legal and moral stakes of the campaign, and the courage of those confronting powerful interests for public health.
SCRAM ACTION GROUP – Acknowledgements
Thanks are extended to SCRAM, the dedicated individuals who supported the residents of Wishaw through the darkest times, helping to alert the world to the risks of mobile phone mast radiation.
♦ SCRAM threw a pebble in the pond and the ripples they created continue to vibrate today, building into a storm around the globe.
♦ The campaign movement received worldwide media attention and was featured on local and national television, including Sky News, GMTV, and This Morning.
♦ Eileen O’Connor went on to co-found the EM Radiation Research Trust in 2003, and the story continues today.
Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
♦ Photo of SCRAM Action Group
♦ Photo of the EM Radiation Research Trust at the launch of the charity outside Westminster, featuring co-founders and former leaders Mike Bell, Lynn Insley, and Professor Gerard Hyland, along with co-founder and current charity Director Eileen O’Connor. Eileen continues to lead the Trust today, supported by RRT Chairman Brian Stein CBE and the scientific advisors listed on the Advisory Committee
♦ Recent photo of Eileen O’Connor and Brian Stein CBE
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