BSG response to the senseless criminal damage of mobile phone masts and harassment of telecoms engineers

BSG response to the senseless criminal damage of mobile phone masts and harassment of telecoms engineers

There is absolutely no credible evidence of a link between 5G and coronavirus.

Police are investigating mobile phone mast fires around the UK as possible arson, following bizarre conspiracy theories. This is causing real danger and harm during a national emergency and wasting the much-needed resources of our police and fire-fighters. On top of that, fixed and mobile telecommunications engineers, designated as key workers, are being harassed by anti-5G campaigners. The telecommunications infrastructure is critical at a time when the population is being told to stay at home.

Cabinet secretary Michael Gove said the theories were “dangerous nonsense”. Professor Steve Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, denouncing it as “the worst kind of fake news”. “I’m absolutely outraged, absolutely disgusted, that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency, it is absolute and utter rubbish.”

The mobile networks have written an open letter to customers urging them to help stop this behaviour.

Ofcom is monitoring broadcasters who are disseminating this, although coverage has spread more widely on social networks, such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. It has already taken prompt action against one broadcaster.

BSG CEO, Clare MacNamara said: “The BSG strongly condemns the spread of these baseless conspiracy theories, the senseless criminal damage to the infrastructure and abuse of our engineers. The nation’s key workers are vital to us at this time and we are depending on them now more than ever. We should be praising them for the fantastic work they continue to do to keep the nation connected”.

Full Fact research on 5G and health can be found here and UK5G maintains factual information on 5G and alleged health effects here.

For COVID-19 advice visit:

The NHS http://nhs.uk/coronavirus

GOVUK https://gov.uk/coronavirus