WELSH Conservative leader Nick Bourne has called for the Haverfordwest Tetra mast to be removed.

His call came in the same week the mast went live for training. Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed the mast was fully commissioned and switched on for training purposes on May 13th.

Officers will spend several weeks becoming familiar with the new handsets and system before they come into use on June 20th.

Nick Bourne, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales wrote to Pembrokeshire County Council requesting the urgent removal of the mast on Haverfordwest police station to allay the fears of the local community.

He said: "This is a densely populated residential area and people are worried about the possible health implications of this mast, particularly for their children."

Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Tamsin Dunwoody-Kneafsey has contacted the minister for environment, planning and countryside expressing her disappointment that there is no procedure in place to allow the Assembly to intervene.

She is keen to see her constituents' fears allayed and said: "I will maintain an open dialogue with all parties involved until this happens."

Many of those concerned about the mast met on Wednesday to hear John O'Brien, of Sussex-based Tetra Watch, speak. His research is available at www.tetrawatch.net. Local campaigner Dympna Pettit said: "I have done a lot of research myself, but some of the things he said really opened my eyes."

A member of Pembrokeshire Against Tetra (PAT), Dympna and fellow campaigners protested outside county hall on Thursday and Friday of last week.