A TELECOMMUNICATIONS company has criticised Stockton Borough Council for being obstructive when considering planning applications for mobile phone masts.

Community affairs manager for Hutchinson 3G Ben Strutt said the authority was not being co-operative in the search for suitable sites for the controversial masts.

The firm is under Government license to ensure everywhere in the UK can use new video mobile technology.

Last weekend, residents from the Oxbridge area of the town staged a protest opposing plans to site a 40-foot mast on a grass verge.

Families are so desperate to prevent the aerial being built because of health fears they are even considering buying the plot of land.

But Mr Strutt said Hutchinson 3G would have preferred to site the mast on top of a building, but were deterred from doing so by the council.

"We have got a fairly poor relationship with them because they do not seem to want to talk constructively about how we can develop in this area," said Mr Strutt.

"The problem is that Stockton council look pretty dimly at everything we do and we get bad vibes whenever we mention planning issues.

"Wherever possible we put them on top of roofs so they are not visibly intrusive and we would have done that with this one, but were discouraged from doing so by the council."

Mr Strutt said the company had appealed against five rejected planning applications in Stockton - three decisions had been overturned and two are pending.

He tried to reassure residents the radio waves were no more harmful than those used by television and radio.

Head of planning and environment at Stockton council Steve Barker said: "Councillors have made decisions on phone masts based upon Government advice and local opinion.

"Local residents have often opposed sites for mobile phone masts because of fears over health related to emissions from the masts.

"My door has always been open to the operators and I would welcome serious discussions with them.

"This type of comment does not help the operators or the users of mobile phones get the service they want."