Residents won their fight against plans to put up mobile phone masts on a block of flats.

More than 50 people packed a meeting when councillors threw out the proposals for three antennae and two satellite dishes on top of flats known as The Moorings in Meads, Eastbourne.

Planning officers for Eastbourne Borough Council had recommended councillors approve the application but the planning committee voted yesterday to scrap the proposal made by telecommunications company Hutchinson 3G UK.

Residents from Meads and The Moorings packed the committee room before speaking of their anger at the plans.

Rebecca Madell, of St John's Road, spoke on behalf of the group.

She said: "This is the third time a mobile phone company has tried to put something on the roof of The Moorings.

"The Government may have decided health is not an issue but one lady was told by her doctor she might have to move because of her pacemaker.

"The council has received so many letters of objection. Anything on top of this building will be silhouetted against the sky and desecrate the skyline."

Planning officers showed the committee plans of what the dishes and antennae would look like and said they would be barely noticeable.

Councillor Maurice Skilton said he objected because of public feeling, the implications on health and because the building was in a conservation area.