The mast is still standing at this Welsh Water site

The mast was taken down from the campus at the University of Wales Aberystwyth last summer and placed on land owned by Welsh Water, 200 metres away from 1,200-pupil Penglais School.

But temporary planning permission, which allowed the mast to stand until a new one replaced it, ended on 29 January.

Mast owner O2 said it was talking to planners and the new mast would go up soon.

Welsh Water should do the honourable thing by terminating their contracts with these companies Paul James, Penglais school governor

However, County councillor and school governor Paul James and Welsh Water want the temporary mast taken down.

"The jury is still out about this subject because there is still no conclusive evidence to say these masts are a danger to the general public," said Mr James.

Densely populated

"But while ongoing research into effects on humans is still being carried out there are many uncertainties, so I feel these masts should not be erected in densely populated areas."

Welsh Water receives �11,000 a year for all masts sited at the Cefn Llan site, with �5,000 due to the siting of the new Tetra mast.

Mr James said: "Welsh Water should do the honourable thing by terminating their contracts with these companies.

A Welsh Water spokesman said: "We have instructed our agent that unless there are grounds for a planning appeal the mast should be removed from the site at the earliest practical opportunity."

The mast is based 200 metres from Penglais secondary school

John Evans, senior planning officer with Ceredigion Council, said the local authority would have to decide if it was expedient to enforce the breach of planning control.

He added that several factors, including the loss of mobile phone coverage for O2 mobile phone users, would have to be taken into consideration.

Angela Johnson of O2 said the company was aware that planning permission for the existing mast had expired.

She added: "We are now in discussion with planners about our next move but the new mast is expected to be erected in the next couple of weeks."

The new mast will be used to transmit mobile phone signals for T-mobile and Orange, as well as the new police radio system Tetra run by O2.