Spike in arson attacks on 5G masts 'impacting thousands'

Police are engaging in "proactive patrolling" at the locations of 5G network masts in order to "provide greater security" around these sites after a spate of arson attacks mostly in west Belfast. A sixth arson attack on 5G towers in three weeks was reported on Monday. Since June 2023, 16 arson attacks on 5G towers took place in west Belfast, with the most recent attack near the Rathcoole estate, in Newtownabbey, bringing the total to 17. Sinn Féin councillor, and lifelong west Belfast resident, Ronan McLaughlin said the attacks are being driven by "dangerous conspiracy theories online". McLaughlin has been critical of the police's response to the west Belfast incidents. He said there had been a "spate of attacks" in the last three weeks and he had "not seen one arrest". The PSNI "need to do much better", he said. "You can see the majority of the masts that have been burned have been in the Colin area, I would hope that this is a small minority of individuals." The PSNI said local neighbourhood policing teams are "actively engaging with communities in the area and have increased police visibility around the affected areas". It added that detectives were pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and were "committed to identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice". A recent survey carried out by Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey found that out of 2,602 people who responded, 87% described phone signal in west Belfast as poor or very poor, with only 3% saying it was good or excellent. Belfast's Deputy Lord Mayor Paul Doherty, from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said this type of digital infrastructure is "key to everyday life now" and is "impacting thousands of people". He told BBC News NI that the lack of phone signal in west Belfast in particular is having a serious impact on "elderly and vulnerable people", who could find themselves having a fall or becoming seriously ill but are "not able to pick up the phone to emergency services". "The fact that there is CCTV cameras, dashcam footage, Translink cameras up and down these stretches of road and we have seen no evidence and no arrests, people are very much frustrated as a result." 5G masts or network towers carry signal for internet phone network connectivity. While the direct motive of the recent spate of attacks has not been identified by police, both McLaughlin and Doherty cite the spreading of "dangerous misinformation" and "conspiracy theories" online. Cornerstone, the firm responsible for maintaining the physical masts which provide signal for network providers,previously toldBBC News NI it was aware that some people have concerns about mobile phone base stations. "The strong consensus of expert groups and public health agencies, such as the World Health Organization, is that no health risks have been established from exposure to the low-level radio signals used by these base stations," Cornerstone said. Speaking to theNolan Show on Tuesday, Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said "there is absolutely no evidence from any properly controlled study that the use of any mobile phone technology of any sort is a risk". "5G masts emit a low dose of radiation" but "simply isn't powerful enough to cause any problems", he added. PSNI Det Insp McAnee said the police were taking the issue in West Belfast very seriously. The PSNI said it was important that the companies who own and operate the masts take "active steps to secure their infrastructure and commercial assets". "Hospitals that are affected are experiencing communication difficulties in contacting patients and managing critical on-call arrangements, and members of the public—particularly those who are vulnerable—are being left in a position where they are unable to make emergency calls or contact family." They are appealing to members of the public to help by coming forward with any information they may have.