Residents have criticised BT after a telegraph pole was erected outside their homes practically blocking a drive.

Patsy and Jon Whitley were astonished when they returned from a day out in May to discover the pole outside their home in Farm Hill, Woodingdean.

The pole is situated on the edge of a traffic island in the centre of the road, directly outside the couple's home, making it difficult to reverse out of the drive.

The couple have written three letters and have phoned BT to complain about the pole. They say that the communication giant has so far failed to answer any of complaints or requests to remove the offending pole.

Mrs Whitley, who has lived in the house for 34 years, said: "It's as if they came up here one day, looked around and thought they would just put it there. It's ridiculous."

"It's a prang or crunch waiting to happen. It's turned what used to be a pleasure coming home into a chore."

The couple think that the pole serves absolutely no purpose as it only carries a single cable to one home, when there are other poles in the street that could carry the cable equally well.

Mrs Whitley said: "This pole should not be there. It's totally unnecessary. There's a telegraph pole four doors away."

Other residents in the street are backing the couple's request for the telegraph pole to be removed.

Brighton and Hove councillor Gill Mitchell has taken up the couple's case.

Coun Mitchell said: "I think it's been disgraceful. BT haven't responded to my calls. I think the way they have behaved is disgraceful."

However, she said she had had a breakthrough this week when she spoke to a BT representative who had finally agreed to make a visit to inspect the pole.

However, BT spokesman Gerard Bithell said engineers had paid the site a visit and believed there was no problem with it.

He said: "The pole is 20ft away from the house and on an island.

"It's the best engineering site for it. It may have a slight effect on the view."

He said that the only alternative to the pole would be to lay underground cables, which would cause long disruption in the street.