Daily Express, 16 May 2011

MOBILE phones could cause brain tumours and should be banned in all classrooms, the Council of Europe Committee has said.

The body, which has 47 member countries, has called for a dramatic reduction in exposure to phones and other wireless devices, including baby monitors and cordless home phones.

It said children and young people were most at risk of developing cancer from mobiles and so they should not be allowed at all in schools. They also said WiFi internet connections should be banned.

Women hoping to get pregnant were also at increased risk and should limit their use, it added.

There have been several studies into the possible dangers of mobile phones, with many conflicting findings. While there has not been conclusive evidence that they can cause brain tumours, it has also not been established that they are safe to use.

The report said that after looking at studies available to date, there was enough evidence of potentially harmful effects to warrant immediate action to limit their use.