VILLAGERS woke up to find a 15m telephone mast at the bottom of the gardens.

The first the people living off Saltburn Road in Brotton, near Redcar say they learnt of the mast was when workmen started erecting it at 6.45am on Thursday.

Campaigners prevented a phone mast being erected back in 1999 at the BT telephone exchange, next to St Margaret's Church Hall.

They argued that the mast could cause health problems to residents with heart pace-makers at the nearby White House residential home.

However on this occasion Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council planning department said that there was no legal requirement for the authority to grant permission for the mast as it is just under 15metres in height. The mast is also sited just outside a conservation area which also means that BT do not need council permission. Consequently there was no requirement to consult residents.

Now the villagers are trying to find ways to force BT to remove the mast.

Rob Jackson is worried the mast could cause health problems for his 16-month-old son, Thomas. He said: "It just isn't on to do this. The first anybody knew about it was when a van came in the early morning and started work on it. As well as the residential home there is the scouts at the church hall. This is a potential health hazard."

Resident Lilly Brown said: "The whole community here has come together to fight this. No-one had a clue about it until the workmen woke everyone up."

Bill Robinson said he had been told the council had allowed the mast to be erected under delegated powers.

However principle planning officer Joan Rees said there was no reason for BT to seek permission.

She said: "We were notified but, under the latest Government regulations, masts can be erected providing they're under 15metres. We've been out to check and it is in the right place. I sympathise with the community. I think the public believes these regulations need re-examining."

BT and its subsidiary mobile phone company MM02 said they would look at the issue.