WYTHALL residents have vowed to keep fighting against a 12-metre high phone mast, despite the council passing the plans.

Bromsgrove district councillors gave the green light to T-Mobile to erect the mast in Trueman's Heath Lane at a recent planning meeting.

Council planner Hazel Bailey said: "It was a very close vote - six to five. Objections were mostly on health and safety grounds which we couldn't consider because emissions were below recommended levels.

"The visual impact, a fake telegraph pole, would also be minimal, so I recommended it for approval."

One of the scores of neighbours campaigning against the mast is mother of one Rebecca Seery.

She said: "My baby is 12 weeks old and her bedroom will face the mast.

"I'm frightened on health grounds - I don't believe the danger from these masts has been properly researched."

Protest organiser Teresa Clubb said: "We'll continue to go down every avenue to get this stopped.

"There are other sites here T-Mobile could use with our blessing."

She blasted Worcestershire County Council for giving T-Mobile permission to erect the mast on its land, saying: "The company won't have to pay rent, so won't bother looking elsewhere."

T-Mobile spokesman John Shaughnessy said: "Rent has absolutely no bearing on this. It is highways land and we have limited rights to access.

"UK experts and the world health association agree there's no reason to fear very low level emissions from phone masts."

But he added: "We did promise Wythall residents that we'd look at alternatives, and will keep our promise.

"But we don't want to get their hopes up because the site we have planning permission for is ideal."

Worcestershire county councillor Wally Stewart said: "The site is totally inappropriate. I and the villagers are considering taking the matter to a judicial review."

Bromsgrove MP Julie Kirkbride said: "Because of the strength of public opinion I hope T-Mobile with find another solution."