A head teacher is fighting plans to put a 60ft mobile phone mast next to her school.

Cathy Moore wants city council planners to stop the BT Cellnet mast being built at the old gasworks site in Church Road, Hove.

She and other staff at neighbouring St Andrews School fear it could cause health problems for pupils.

Mrs Moore said: "The school governors have written to parents informing them of the plans.

"We feel it is very insensitive of the applicant to consider putting a mast in a place like this.

"I know that there is no definitive evidence about if they are harmful or not. But there is nothing to say that they are 100 per cent safe, either."

The application was submitted for BT Cellnet by Coventry-based communications company SpectraSite Transco.

They say the mast will carry six antennae and two dishes, and could be extended by another ten metres in the future.

Tim Parker of SpectraSite said: "If clearance is granted for this particular site, we will actively promote its availability for other operators to share rather than seek to build their own tower in the area."

Brighton and Hove Council planning officer Liz Hobden said the mast was a permitted use for the site and did not need planning permission.