their battle.

Despite appeals to Government Ministers and MPs, the Bermuda Digital Communications cellular aerial planned for a site in Warwick will almost certainly be built.

But campaigners say they will organise an-Island wide boycott of BDC if the plan goes ahead and take their fight all the way to ensure the aerial is not erected.

Residents close to the Faraway location fear there could be a potential health risk, particularly from cancer, from radiation emitted from the mobile phone antennae.

They want the company to find another site or issue a guarantee that the radio frequency emissions would not cause any illnesses.

And after a well-attended public meeting on Thursday, Warwick East MP Alex Scott promised to raise the matter at the highest level of Government, with a view to look at the health concerns.

But yesterday, Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb stated that the Government was satisfied that the tower would not pose a health risk to any member of the public.

And BDC chief operating officer Michael Leverock ruled out looking for another location, saying that Government permission had been granted and all guidelines had been followed.

"I am sure the Government is responsible enough and competent enough to know what is a health risk to the Island, we are quite confident that they know what they are doing,'' he said.

"They have to work within certain guidelines. They have looked at it and they feel there is nothing we are doing that poses a health risk.'' Steve Thomson of Community Against Radiation Emissions said if the tower went ahead they would be asking their friends and relatives not to use mobile phones with BDC.

He said they would also start a website to disseminate information about their fears. In addition a petition with several hundred names is expected to be delivered to Renee Webb.

And he said they would be pursuing "every legal option'' open to them.

Of the statement by Ms Webb, he said he didn't expect anything less from the Telecommunications Ministry. Their information was directly opposite to the opinion of the US Environmental Protection Agency, he added.

Last night, Alex Scott said it was still his intention to raise the issue at Cabinet on Tuesday.

After that it would be left up to Ms Webb to decide whether any further action, research or amending of legislation would be necessary. Michael Leverock reiterated his concern for the Warwick residents affected by the tower but said the plans were going ahead. Work has ceased at present and he could not say when it would begin again.

"We do want to be good corporate citizens, but we have done our research and so far nothing indicates that these towers pose a health risk,'' he said.

"We had permission for what we plan and we are going ahead based on that.'' Ms Webb said the Government was constantly monitoring new scientific data associated with any potential risks from radio frequency emissions, but said that currently all installations met with normal safety standards.

The transmitters in Bermuda are smaller and of a lower power, she said, and complied with US Federal Communication Commission standards.