16053PEOPLE power won the day in Warminster this week when the town's cricket club agreed to back down over a mobile phone mast plan.

The club had offered part of its Sambourne Road ground as a mast site to phone giant Hutchison 3G and said it had no problem with the project.

Residents like Bob Irons claimed the mast, which would be near three schools, would be a health hazard and mounted a determined protest against it.

The latest phase at the weekend saw Mr Irons and fellow campaigners brave the wind and rain to spend shifts displaying Stop The Mast placards, depicting legendary cricketer W.G Grace with the slogan W.G, not 3G, outside the ground.

On Monday, with 100 people protesting outside its gates, the club issued a statement saying it would no longer allow Hutchison to use its land.

Warminster councillor John Syme, who supported the campaign, said: "Everyone was delighted. It is a tremendous result.

"They just came out of the club, crossed the road and gave us a press release. There's been so much pressure put on them so they just backed down.

"I didn't want to blast them, I just wish that they had consulted more to start with.

"I went into the district council to find out what I could do to stop the plan, but they said the only grounds would have been siting and that was not a problem here.

"This was a big turn around and showed the club did listen in the end."

West Wiltshire District Council's planning committee was last night due to vote on plans for another mobile phone mast on land near Warminster's Central car park.

Cllr Syme said nearby Avenue School had not been told of the application and pledged to "kick up hell" at the meeting.