Residents of Stowupland say they are furious that the mast is going up after proposals to erect it had been rejected by the parish and Mid Suffolk District councils.

District councillors had 56 days to notify the communications company when they turned down planning permission for the mast at the village on the A14.

But the notification failed to meet the deadline by one day.

Very angry

A Mid Suffolk District Council spokesman said they missed the deadline because someone posted the details of the decision, instead of faxing them.

The council apologised for the error.

Because the council failed to tell the company in time, Hutchison 3G is free to go ahead and erect the mast.

Stowupland parish councillor Patrick Bewley, who campaigned against the phone mast plan, said he was very angry over the slip-up.

He believes the council should be penalised for the error.