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Conspiracy theorists have driven a Tyneside council to confirm its street lights do not cause cancer or induce nosebleeds and miscarriages in pregnant women.

Gateshead Council has responded to rumours the authority is carrying out ‘secret Government trials’ as part of an alleged roll-out of 5G technology in the borough.

In a bizarre Facebook post on Monday, the council has denied ever using 5G technology, and dismissed the ‘conspiracy stories’ which alleged Gateshead’s birds and insects were being killed by technology.

A spokesperson for Gateshead Council said: “We are aware that certain individuals are frightening local people with false stories about the street lights in Gateshead – despite the fact we, and others, have told them repeatedly that their allegations are entirely false.

“We don’t know how these conspiracy stories start, but we are happy to report that this is exactly what these are. These tales are completely untrue and you should ignore them.

“Please be assured that there is no scientific basis or credible evidence for any of these scare stories about street lights causing cancer and other illnesses.”

A bullet-point list in the Facebook post outlines Gateshead street lights will not give anyone cancer, cause insomnia or nosebleeds, induce miscarriages, and are not killing ‘all the birds and insects’.

(Image: Gateshead Council)

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has reportedly set a timetable for the launch of 5G services throughout Britain by 2020.

5G stands for the fifth generation and would represent an improvement on the current mobile wireless technologies in operation.

Concerns have spread about the alleged health risks associated with the rollout of the new technology, but Gateshead Council insists advice from Public Health England dispels these fears.

The authority’s Facebook post finished: “We ask you to share this information with your friends and neighbours as we understand that some residents have been badly frightened by these tales, and the more people who understand that they are completely false, the better.”