A PARISH council has come under fire for its refusal to make a recommendation on a phone mast application.

Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council met on Monday to discuss Voda-fone's application for a mast at Mayall Farm.

However, six of the eight councillors present declared a prejudicial interest as they knew the landowner, Alan Hughes, a former member of the parish council.

Chairman Roy Locke said: "We took advice on it, thought over it and each decided that in our point of view and the view of the outside public, it would be seen that we had prejudicial interests.

"Alan Hughes was a member of the former parish council and was known by us all. The mere fact that we may have liked him did not enter into it, but it is not easy in a small parish where everybody knows everybody."

Caroline Bennett, who is heading a campaign to prevent the mast being approved, attended the meeting, along with 45 concerned residents.

She said: "I just sat there with my head in my hands. I got up and said 'why on earth do you want to hold a position of authority if you can't support us? What is the definition of a local councillor?'

"Why do they think we are spending so much of our time just before Christmas, when we have all got families, campaigning against this? It's not because we enjoy it, it's because this mast should not go up.

"Every angle we have tried for people who should help us, we have run up against a brick wall.

"We have got nobody acting for us and there's 200 people who have signed the petition now."

Mrs Hughes says she will organise another meeting in the New Year to discuss the next step for the campaign, which will involve lobbying members of the Malvern Hills District Council's planning committee.