  We discuss a class of models of neutrino masses and mixings with inverse
hierarchy based on a broken U(1)_F flavour symmetry with charge
L_e-L_\mu-L_\tau for lepton doublets and arbitrary right-handed charges. The
symmetry breaking sector receives separate contributions from flavon vev
breaking terms and from soft mass breaking in the right handed Majorana sector.
The model is able to reproduce in a natural way all observed features of the
charged lepton mass spectrum and of neutrino masses and mixings (even with
arbitrarily small \theta_{13}), with the exception of a moderate fine tuning
which is needed to accomodate the observed small value of r = Delta m^2_{sol} /
Delta m^2_{atm}.
