ANGRY Tytherington residents are bracing themselves for a second new phone mast near their homes in as many years.

Vodafone follow T-Mobile in planning a mobile phone "base station" on Manchester Road, a short distance from Marlborough primary and Tytherington high schools.

Families on nearby Bluebell Close say the location – 100 metres from the existing mast – is inappropriate. They have also called for the masts to be combined, if the council again fails to object, only to be told that the resulting mast would be too bulky and intrusive as it would require an additional antenna.

Ian Davies, 53, of Bluebell Close, said: "This one’s going to be 50 metres from my back door. I came back from a holiday in the sun last year to find a new mast near my house, and I got back this year to hear the same."

Neighbour Carolyn Griffiths, a retired teacher and mother-of-two, said: "We are in a tree preservation area and the council is trying to make the environment better around here, and then they are allowing all these poles."

Tytherington councillor James Nicholas said: "I sympathise with residents’ concerns but we all use mobile phones. This location isn’t perfect, but it is out of the way."

A Vodafone spokesman said: "There is a T-Mobile site about 100 metres away, but it would be too big and bulky to combine them. We require a new base station to improve the 3G coverage for our customers in the area. This site is well-suited as it offers a backdrop of trees and street furniture."

Any "exposure" from the mast would be hundreds if not thousands of times lower than latest international guidelines, he added. A council spokesman confirmed that planning permission was not needed.

"We are looking at the details at the moment and we can make suggestions about improvements and moving it if required," he said.