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'Pylon caused my ill health'			United Kingdom
Contamination level: Feeling violently sick all the time.
Author: Tina Reed	Created: 23 Mar 2006	Updated: 23 Mar 2006	Viewed: 15387 time(s)
An Exeter woman who lived under an electricity pylon for years claims that it was the cause of her ill health. Tina Reed, 54, of Leypark Close, Whipton, says 21 years at 5 Seabrook Avenue, Countess Wear, in the shadow of a 132,000-volt pylon, has caused her to suffer from headaches, dizziness, memory loss and other problems.
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Pylons pose a risk to health say scientists	Created: 23 Mar 2006
'Pylon caused my ill health' An Exeter woman who lived under an electricity pylon for years claims that it was the cause of her ill health. Tina Reed, 54, of Leypark Close, Whipton, says 21 years at 5 Seabrook Avenue, Countess Wear, in the shadow of a 132,000-volt pylon, has caused her to suffer from headaches, dizziness, memory loss and other problems. Mrs Reed says she was off work for 18 months with an illness that started from flu but that doctors cannot diagnose. As reported in the Echo on Wednesday, residents in Seabrook Avenue have welcomed a new report by the Government's Health Protection Agency. It confirms that people living near pylons can suffer from a condition known as electrosensitivity, recognised as a physical impairment. Mrs Reed said: "We started a campaign in the late 80s to get the cables put underground because of the ill effects of the pylon but we were told we did not know what we were talking about. "We wrote to Exeter City Council and the South Western Electricity Board who owned it at the time, and neither took any notice of what we were telling them. "I feel annoyed. I believe I have been proved right by this report. "I believe I am suffering from electrosensitivity. The symptoms I have point towards it. "I am just waiting to see what happens now. "My husband John suffers from depression and headaches. "Back then, they refused to spend out and get anyone to check on it. "Lots of people who lived in the road for years died of heart attacks or cancer." Mrs Reed's four sons, Nick, 35, Neil, 34, Tony, 32, and Trevor, 25, were all brought up in the road. One has epilepsy and all suffer from asthma. Mrs Reed said: "I am planning to get in touch with local campaigner Janet Langmead and resume the initiative we started." Pylons pose a risk to health say scientists City residents who live in the shadow of a 132,000 volt electricity pylon have welcomed a new report into the effects of power lines on people's health. Householders in Seabrook Avenue, Countess Wear, have long maintained that exposed power lines in their street have led to a decline in their health. Now a report by the Health Protection Agency will admit for the first time that people living near electricity pylons can suffer nausea, headaches and muscle pains because of electromagnetic fields. The condition, known as electrosensitivity, will be recognised as a physical impairment. And the Government agency's report, which is officially released next month, will suggest that thousands of Britons could be affected. Seabrook Avenue resident Gail Antat, 38, who has lived in the street for five years with her husband John and their children - Karina, 14, Kerrie, 16, Rian, 13 and Nathan, seven, said: "The report's findings don't surprise me. "I never used to get headaches when I lived elsewhere, but since moving here I often get migraines and my daughter Karina gets headaches a lot too." Janet Langmead, who also lives in the street, said: "It is good that this report recognises there is a link between power lines and people's health. "A lot of residents here suffer from headaches and muscle pains and they feel sick a lot of the time. "We maintain that it's very dangerous to live by electricity pylons." She said her headaches were worsening now she spent more time at home since retiring. "Quite a few young families have recently moved into the road and it's particularly worrying for them," she added. The report, by the agency's radiation protection division, will give a full list of the symptoms, which can include dizziness, irregular heartbeat and loss of memory. Brian Boddey, 65, also of Seabrook Avenue, said: "They seem to be finally accepting that there are some problems with these pylons. I've had no doubt that pylons can be dangerous to people's health, because they create enlarged electromagnetic fields. "I've had aches and pains for the last 15 to 20 years and there are some young people in this street who constantly suffer with headaches." A spokeswoman for Western Power Distribution, the company responsible for the Seabrook Avenue pylons, was eager to reassure residents. She said: "We take concerns about electromagnetic fields very seriously and ensure that fields produced by our equipment are well within Health Protection Agency guidelines." dedbrooke@expressandecho.co.uk Express & Echo (Exeter)
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