Families win plea for cancer court challenge

(First Edition)

THREE children whose families fear their lives could be at risk from high voltage power cables being laid near their homes yesterday won permission to mount a High Court challenge to the installation.

Mr Justice Schiemann gave leave to seek judicial review after hearing they feared the cables could increase the risk of childhood leukaemia and other cancers in north-east London because of electromagnetic fields.

The families, who represent about 2,000 other families in South Woodford, Walthamstow and Chingford, which stand to be affected by the power lines, will argue that Michael Heseltine, President of the Board of Trade, failed in his legal duty to properly regulate the installation of the six 275,000-volt cables.

Graham Read, for the three families, argued that studies had shown a link between childhood leukaemias and other cancers at levels of electromagnetic radiation above 0.2 microtesla.

Figures provided by the National Grid to the families show that the cables, currently being laid and due to become live this summer, will generate electromagnetic fields at levels many times greater.

Outside court Martyn Day, the families' solicitor, said he believed the judge had been influenced by Mr Heseltine's failure to reply to the families' letters for two weeks. Mr Day said it showed Mr Heseltine's contempt for their arguments. 'We have studies that show a link between cancers and electromagnetic fields. But he is putting his money on the studies turning out not to be true.'