Residents say the law has let them down after discovering permission has been granted for three mobile phone masts to go up in their neighbourhood.

Planners' approval has been given for masts at Roedean fire station, the gasworks nearby and Marine Gate, several hundred yards away.

Full planning permission was not required because the masts were less than 15m high, meaning Brighton and Hove City Council did not have to seek the public's views.

Phone operators One 2 One publicised the plans but residents say they remained in the dark until now.

John Dunn, of Cliff Road, said residents felt the law had let them down.

He said: "Giving permission for these things without consulting with local people may be OK in planning law but when you do it three times in the vicinity of one small community it's disgusting.

"Finding out about one mast was bad enough but to suddenly find out there is consent for three has incensed people even more.

"It's a complete violation of our human rights. If they put them up we will continue to campaign until they are taken down again.

"The law is the law but I feel the council had a moral responsibility to inform us in these circumstances."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: "The law doesn't allow us to have a moral responsibility on this issue, only legal responsibility.

"As such, public consultation would have meant the council acting beyond its powers and wasting money doing so.

"We've responded to public concern by not allowing masts on council property.

"But there's nothing we can do about masts under 15m high on private land."

Mobile operators are required to advertise plans in the Press and put up site notices.

One 2 One said it had fulfilled its obligations in relation to informing the public of its proposals for Roedean fire station.

Stuart Wellman, speaking on behalf of the operator, said: "If residents were unaware of the proposals I think it's just a case of them not looking in the right places and not seeing the notices.

"It is not practicable for us to inform the residents individually, we have to rely on local newspapers and public notices."

The installation of transmitting equipment was approved for the gasworks in Kemp Town last December and two permissions have been in place to erect antennae at Marine Gate since 1998.