A GROUP of residents has scored a major victory in their fight against a mobile phone mast in their street.

Last night Swindon Council's planning committee voted to find a new site for the O2 mast in Akers Way following a petition signed by 300 residents asking for it to be removed.

The mast was put up last month and residents, led by mother of two Karen Kelly, 47, fear it could cause health problems. Now Karen and her neighbours' prayers have been answered.

Swindon Council officers will be working with O2 to find a new site and in future residents within 100 metres of a proposed mast site will be informed.

Karen said: "I want that mast out of my face and out of my children's faces.

"I do not want it affecting their health or the health of the other children who live in the street.

"I just hope they will be talking about repositioning it."

At the meeting her husband Steven Kelly said: "There is a perceived though not yet measured health risk involved in this technology that has not yet been addressed.

"Phrases such as 'so far so good' are no comfort to us."

After the meeting Coun Derique Montaut (More-don, Lab) congratulated residents on what they had achieved.

"When I started out I didn't think we would get where we are today or that we would be able to take this forward.

"We said that this mast should be moved and it's going to be moved.

"We should hail this as a major victory."

As well as voting for proposals to move the mast the council also agreed to report the health issues raised by the petition to the Office of the Deputy Prime Ministers for his information.

They also supported recommendations that officers should liase with developers to make provision in developmental briefs for anticipated mobile phone masts.