The 22-metre mast fell down on Bonfire Night

Residents campaigning against the re-erection of a mobile phone mast near Sutton Coldfield have prompted Birmingham City Council to take action.

The mast at Wishaw led to a number of protests by villagers who blamed it for a cluster of cancer cases.

Representatives from the Wishaw campaign group met council planning chiefs last week to discuss their concerns.

The authority has now agreed to write to the government asking for an inquiry into the effects of mobile phone masts on people's health.

Alternative site

The 22-metre mast fell down on Bonfire Night after bolts were removed from the base, in what police described as an act of vandalism.

Following its removal, villagers staged a blockade at the site to stop a new one being erected.

They bought the old one back from a scrapyard and plan to sell pieces of it to fund their campaign.

Villagers said the mast would go back up "over their dead bodies".

Crown Castle Communications had said it would work with the residents to find an alternative site.

But then the company changed its mind following a statement from mobile phone network T-Mobile, which said it was determined to put the mast back up.