Families in phone mast plea

Villagers are pleading with a mobile phone company to share an existing mast - rather than erect a new one near their homes and a school in the area.

Angry residents at Areley Kings, near Stourport, believe it would be possible for 02 to use an existing mast instead of erecting a 45ft high monopole on a verge in Pearl Lane.

They have already organised a protest meeting at the village hall at 8pm tonight to discuss the issue.

But today Chris Ashmore, one of the villagers, said: "There is a Vodafone mast already erected on Tudor Grange further down.

"They have mentioned in their planning application that they have looked at the site but that they dismissed it because this did not allow them to have "meaningful 2G coverage".

"Because of this they claim it does not meet 02 technical requirements.

"We think they should go back and reconsider this site as it seems they have dismissed this possibility out-of-hand," she continued.

"They claim they need better coverage but I am an O2 user for business and can get a signal from inside my house," she added.

Spokesman for 02 Angela Johnson has offered to meet residents concerned by the proposals. "We could use an existing mast if we could."