Residents are fighting to prevent mobile company Vodafone from installing a phone mast just metres from their homes and gardens in Highcliffe.

Nicola Major, and Elliot Marx are among many others trying to stop the mobile phone company installing a 10-metre-high pole with three shrouded antennas at the Humphrey’s Bridge street works in Lymington Road.

With only a few residents notified about the application in accordance with planning law, residents soon rallied to create a petition.

Nicola, who has three children all at primary school, said: “I know we cannot object on the grounds that the masts have any health implications but with three small children it is still a worry.

“Only five houses were notified about the application so we have told all the neighbours about what is going on.

“I have also been told by my estate agent that my house could lose up to £100,000 of its worth if this mast is installed.”

Vodafone, which also has an application to put another mast in Barrack Road, says that this area of Highcliffe currently receives a very poor level of coverage for their 3G level of services.

In a letter to the planning department, Richard Dunk, acting on behalf of Vodafone says the location is suitably separated from surrounding properties.

Elliot Marx, who lives in Auckland Road, said: “The local community is extremely unhappy about this proposal.

“We feel the siting of the mast in this residential area, the fact that it is completely out of keeping with the character and surroundings of Highcliffe Castle make it totally unacceptable.”

Due to a recent rule stating telephone mast applications have to be dealt with within 56 days, the borough council has had to assemble an emergency telecommunications sub-committee on April 23 to discuss the Lymington Road and Barrack Road application.