PLANS to site Bexley's first mobile phone mast on the roof of a house have been unanimously rejected by councillors.

Opponents of the mast, which would have been sited on the top of 172 Park Crescent, turned out in force to protest at the plans.

They were supported by their MP and three ward councillors.

Hutchinson 3G wanted to put a mast with three antennae, two dishes and associated equipment on the roof of the house, which was formerly Riversfield Manor.

It planned to hide the mast and equipment in a 5.2m fibreglass turret which would have been placed on the top of the tower section of the house.

The company claimed the new turret would replicate the house's original one, which has been demolished.

Hutchinson 3G had the agreement of the owner of the house, which is now divided into seven flats.

Resident Andrew Dann told the committee approving the application would open the floodgates to mobile phone companies to site masts on residential properties.

He said the council was currently looking at locally listing the building, which would be ruined by the false turret.

Another resident, Pooja Shukla, said residents were concerned for their own health, for the three nearby schools and Erith Hospital.

She demanded an assurance none of the antennae would be pointed towards the playing fields at nearby Christ Church CofE Primary School.

Ward councillors David Hurt, Margaret O'Neill and Bernard Clewes spoke against the plan.

All raised concerns the company had chosen to put in its application on the day schools broke up.

This had prevented them and parents from mounting a group protest.

Cllr Hurt said granting the application would be disastrous for the whole borough because of the precedent it would set.

And Cllr Clewes said the location was worse for the community than some of the sites the company had eliminated.

Cllr O'Neill said the company was adding insult to injury with the mock turret, which she described as "hideous".

Erith and Thamesmead MP John Austin also wrote to object.

Environmental health officer Phil Williams was concerned about a lack of information about emissions from the mast, particularly for Christ Church school and residents whose flats would be just feet from it.