Residents of Felixstowe in Suffolk were furious that the mast was going up after the proposals had been rejected by Suffolk Coastal District council.

Six residents took their case to an ombudsman who ruled the council was at fault and should pay each of them �250.

The council is studying the findings before a decision is made.

In the meantime, Hutchinson 3G - the company behind the mast - is free to go ahead and erect the mast, but there is still a dispute over land ownership.

One of the campaigners, Marion Curtis, said: "Compensation isn't the issue, the issue is that we don't want the mast to go up and we're still no further forward because they haven't said 'yes' or 'no'."

Campaigners have vowed to continue their fight to block the mast.

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

But the notification failed to meet the deadline by one day and the local government ombudsman recommended that compensation of �250 should be paid.