PEOPLE living in part of Darlington are furious at plans to site a telecommunications mast near their homes.

Mobile phone company 02 has approached the borough council with a proposal for a 15-metre mast near Mowden shopping parade.

No planning application has been submitted, but the company hopes to gauge local opinion about the idea.

If an application were to be lodged with the council, it would seek permission for the mast to be located near a bus stop in Fulthorpe Avenue.

But the plan has upset residents and businesses on the estate. Local councillor Bill Stenson said angry homeowners had made their feelings known to him at a recent ward surgery.

"It's right in front of the shops and the people round here are up in arms about it.

"I don't want it there either. I really do think they could have found a much better place," he said. "People are not happy about it - it's nearly 50ft high.

"What I would suggest is that they pick somewhere on open land, out of the way of everybody."

Coun Stenson said he would be speaking out against the application if it came up at a future planning committee meeting.

The committee rejected a phone mast proposal for Coniscliffe Road, from Orange last November.