PLANNING consent has been granted for a mobile phone mast at Stifford's Bridge.

The application, for a 21-metre mast near the A4103 was approved by Herefordshire Council's northern area planning committee.

A spokesman from Daly International, Vodafone's agent, said emissions would be more than 18,000 times lower than EU limits.

A petition signed by 224 people concerned about the health risk was presented to the council. Applications for masts at Upper Welland and Pendock have already been thrown out by Malvern Hills District Council, after residents raised similar concerns.