AN HISTORIC hotel has criticised a mobile phone company which they claim applied for permission to erect a mobile phone mast on their premises without the hotel's agreement.

BT Cellnet applied to South Bucks District Council for permission to erect a mobile phone antenna and equipment box on The Bull Hotel, Oxford Road, Gerrards Cross, in April, and the district council put planning notices on the road nearby.

Hotel manager, Yiannis Constantino, said: "I never, ever gave them permission to go ahead with something like that.

"They did not tell me they had put the application in already."

He said: "BT Cellnet got in touch with me about a month and a half ago."

"I said I wanted to see how big it will be, what implications to the building and residents there will be and we will consider it."

"When I saw the plans I said no way and got back to them.

"When they put in the application I had not got back to them.

"There must have been a misunderstanding.

A resident, who complained to the Free Press after seeing a planning notice, said: "If it has been scuppered that really is great."

A spokesman for BT Cellnet said: "The plans have been withdrawn and we are looking for an alternative site in the area. We need extra coverage in this area."