A PHONE mast will be attached to a church spire despite fears it will be used to distribute pornography to children.

Telecommunications giant T-Mobile has been given the green light by the ecclesiastical Court of Arches to erect the mast at SS Peter and Paul church on The Green, Chingford, which will be paid an unspecified sum.

Campaigners say it is wrong for the church to facilitate the distribution of pornography and called for the Diocese of Chelmsford to intervene.

Chancellor George Pulman QC, Chelmsford diocese ecclesiastical judge, agreed and blocked the installation in October last year.

Explaining the decision at the time, he said it is wrong in law for the church to benefit financially from a phone mast which could be used to transmit pornograhy "however modest and slight" because of the dangers to children.

The court has now rejected this view, saying it is satisfied there are strong provisions to protect children using mobile phones from explicit sexual material.

Commenting on the ruling, The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, said: "The court has carefully considered the complex technological issues involved, and made a judgement which balances the use of mobile communications for routine and emergency purposes with ways in which the church can work to improve standards of morality in society generally."

For full report and reaction see next week's Waltham Forest Guardian.