PROTESTORS crammed into a council planning meeting and spontaneously applauded a decision to throw out two separate plans to erect mobile phone masts in their County Durham village.

About 40 villagers from Burnopfield turned up to the Derwentside District Council planning committee meeting to see the councillors reject plans to erect the masts from phone company One2One.

The councillors, who by law are only permitted to reject plans for phone masts under 15 metres on the grounds of location and appearance, rejected the plans unanimously.

They followed advice from council planning officers who had recommended the plans be refused after arguing One2One had not properly considered mast sharing with other companies in the area.

One2One had wanted to erect the masts near a school in the Bryan's Leap area of the village and another at a children's play ground in the Lambton Gardens street area. The village already has three other mobile telephone masts and residents are worried about potential effects on health of mobile telephone masts.

A spokesman for One2One said it was too early to say if the company would appeal against the decision but revealed that it may look at other sites in the area.

Derwentside council received more than 100 letters of objection and petitions with nearly 1,000 signatures against the scheme.

Protestor Julie Wilson of Lambton Gardens said: "We were delighted with the decision and couldn't help applauding, but we are still on our guard. We will wait and see what One2One do and fight against any appeal and any new plans. We already have three phone masts here and that is enough."

Leader of Derwentside council Alex Watson, who himself voted to refuse permission, was impressed with the strength of feeling from the villagers.

He said: "It was quite phenomenal to see that number of people at one of our planning meetings. I can say that if One2One appeal we will be asking for a public inquiry into the matter."

l Campaigners fighting plans for a 41ft mobile phone mast near their homes have won a meeting with One2One.

The residents of West Cornforth, near Ferryhill, are hoping to persuade the company to relocate the mast away from the village when they meet on December 11.

They fear the mast could lead to children developing cancers such as leukaemia.

The villagers have won the backing of North-East Euro MP Stephen Hughes, who has agreed to lobby David Byrne, the European Commissioner for health and consumer protection, to carry out more research.

Their complaint was presented to Mr Hughes at Durham County Hall on Saturday.

The residents will also hand in a petition with more than 300 names on it to Sedgefield Borough Council today.