Homeowners have won a year-long fight to stop a mobile phone mast being sited in their street.

Residents were outraged when Orange applied to put the 25m mast in Lindfield Road, Ardingly, near Haywards Heath, on the site of an old phone exchange.

More than 170 people signed a petition protesting at the move last January and Mid Sussex District Council agreed with their arguments and refused planning permission.

But Orange decided to appeal against the council's decision and took their case to the Planning Inspectorate, which this week ruled against the company.

Jennifer Entwisle, of Lindfield Road, said: "We are over the moon. It would have been horrendous if they had got the go-ahead."

Residents said they had been told the mast would be surrounded by barbed wire and, in an effort to reduce the impact, Orange had offered to disguise the mast as a Scots pine.

Mrs Entwisle said she was grateful to Mid Sussex MP Nicholas Soames for support.

Included in the Planning Inspectorate's reasons for ruling against Orange were that the mast would be in an area of outstanding natural beauty and its height would be detrimental to the views and characteristics of the area.

Nick Rogers, principal planning officer for the north area at Mid Sussex District Council, said: "We are very pleased with the result. It was a sensible decision because of the harm which would have been caused the local residents."

An Orange spokeswoman said: "Unfortunately, it is too early to say what our next course of action will be."