COUNCILLORS have hatched a radical plan to prevent the construction of a controversial mobile phone mast going up near a nursery school.

At a meeting of Beaconsfield Town Council last week, town mayor Malcolm Dunlop said the only access to the planned site for the mast was via land owned by the council and he could see no way Orange could install the mast without trespassing on council property.

The planned site for the Orange mast is on disused land owned by Railtrack near a footpath between Gregories Road and Baring Road, just yards from a nursery school and a medical centre.

He said: "My job is to represent the people of Beaconsfield and I would be doing them a disservice if I did not represent accurately their views and they do not want this mast in the town."

The mast plan has outraged residents living near the site who fear the mast could have serious health implications.

Vera Leathart, of Baring Road, said: "In light of the discoveries over emissions from pylons being harmful, I'm concerned about the installation of this mast.

"These contraptions should not be sited where there is high density population and the nearest neighbours to this are a nursery school and a medical centre."

A spokesman for Orange said: "Orange acknowledges public concern regarding the siting of transmitters on buildings, however there is no conclusive evidence that makes a link between exposure to radio waves, transmitter masts and long term public health risks."

The company refused to comment on the town council's plan.