ACTION must be taken to address mobile phone coverage in rural areas of Wales, a UK government minister has said.

Speaking at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show in Builth Wells, Wales Office minister Guto Bebb called on the Welsh Government to take action over the number of areas of the country without coverage.

New rules came into force in England in November 2016 allowing taller phone masts to be built. And Mr Bebb called on the Welsh Government to introduce similar regulations in Wales, as well as to use the planning system to improve coverage.

"The UK government and businesses have been clear about the importance of good mobile connectivity for the future prosperity of Wales’ rural economy," he said.

"Since taking office, the secretary of state for Wales (Alun Cairns) and I have made it a priority to pull partners together to tackle the very real issue of mobile not spots across the country.

"That is why we hosted an industry summit at the start of this year to address the challenges and to find a solution to the problem. We now need action."

He added: "The UK Government is working to create an environment where the consumer can expect high quality connectivity where they live, work and travel.

"And while we will not relent on that ambition for Wales, we cannot achieve this goal in isolation.

"Although I am pleased to see that the Welsh Government has been undertaking research in respect of telecoms masts and permitted development rights in Wales, it is now time that they bring forward their own mobile planning reforms to support mobile infrastructure roll-out in Wales which are long overdue."

A number of areas of rural Wales, including some in Monmouthshire, do not have access to phone signal, causing problems for businesses and residents.