MP Attacks 'Arrogant, Anti-social Telecoms Company: O2'

3.59.44pm GMT Fri 5th Mar 2004

After a planning committee meeting on Thursday when the council resolved to take enforcement action against two illegally erected masts in Twickenham (in Hanworth Road and Chertsey Road) Vincent Cable, MP, who attended the meeting to support residents protesting against both masts, has written to the company's chief executive to protest over what he calls, "arrogant, unethical, anti-social behaviour" by O2 in the borough.

To the amazement of councillors, and a large number of members of the public, a company representative (its community liaison manager, Mr Stephenson) said that he wanted to meet council officials "privately" in order to reach a deal on all the controversial O2 masts in the borough including Hampton Wick and Kew. He then told residents and Vincent Cable outside the meeting that the company would use the appeals procedure to block the council's enforcement notice.

Vincent Cable said: "I have never before seen such a breathtakingly blatant display of corporate arrogance. They sited two masts wrongly and not in compliance with their legal authorisation. They could relocate them to less controversial sites for a few thousand pounds but are now trying to bluster and to bully the council officials and the councillors on the planning committee - who behaved properly and commendably - as well as residents. This is totally unacceptable. I have told the company that they will be named and shamed in parliament and the national press unless they show some sensitivity to community feeling and treat the law with more respect".