TOWN leaders have vowed not to give up their fight to stop mobile phone companies erecting more transmitter masts in Droitwich.

Wychavon District Council gave planning permission to place a 56ft third generation (3G) phone mast at The Weighbridge, Union Lane, at the end of last month.

The development came after Droitwich Town Council agreed to reject the scheme. But it was out-voted at the district council meeting by 12 to seven.

Mobile giant Vodafone's mast will enable its customers to watch video footage or make video calls from their mobiles. But not enough is known about the potential health risks of the new 3G technology, neighbouring residents argue.

Jaqueline Hughes of nearby Acre Lane said: "I still think it is a sham they have decided to place the mast so close to a residential area, especially when they are open fields only a mile away. There are children living down here too and I also have concerns for their health and well-being."

Town councillor Richard Morris urged residents to use people power to continue the battle.

"We have a policy as a town council to recommend these masts are placed on industrial sites away from residential areas," he said.

"This new technology is yet to be proven safe and research is still being carried out.

"This is an example of Wychavon District Council going against our wishes. If we can't do anything, it's important we get the residents to campaign against it."

He said objectors should write to Wychavon District Council and express their feelings.

A district council spokesman said the mast was replacing an existing one in the car park opposite the railway station and would be further away from residential areas but nearer the chemical factory.

"Unfortunately, legally there were no grounds to turn down the application," said town and district councillor Michael Barratt.

"As the planning regulations stand, health grounds are not a reason to turn the proposal down."

Vodafone acknowledges recent Dutch laboratory experiments, which show the effect of 3G emission. But it wants to see the experiment replicated before any significance is drawn.

The town clerk now plans to write to Pershore and Evesham Town Councils, along with other nearby parish councils to lobby the Government to change the current planning regulations on phone masts.