Campaigners fighting to stop a mobile phone mast being erected next to a pre-school have won their first battle after getting the plans postponed.

Residents living near the proposed site of the 11.5m mast in Boulogne Road, Thornton Heath, confronted representatives from Vodafone and 02 at a heated public meeting on January 25.

Despite the mast being scheduled to go up next week after Croydon Council granting planning permission, the liaisons from the telecommunications giants agreed to postpone the scheme to look at alternative locations.

Residents had been concerned children at the nearby Once Upon A Time pre school would be at risk from electromagnetic waves travelling to and from the mast.

Green Party spokesperson Shasha Khan, who organised the meeting, said: “This repreive shows that the community can take on the power of not one, but two mobile phone operators.

“Mobile phone masts may be a necessary part of our cityscape, but that doesn’t mean these companies can ignore the views of a small yet well organised group of people.”