Bad mobile phone reception in Ryedale is set to become a thing of the past under plans by two major telecommunication companies.

Both BT Cellnet and Orange say they are on the verge of launching plans to improve reception in Ryedale by building more masts - though they have refused to say exactly when work would be carried out and how much will be invested.

The news was welcomed by many mobile phone customers in Ryedale, but the plans are likely to receive a poor reception from residents concerned about the potential health risks of eyesore towers.

Jason Donohoe, of BT Cellnet, told the Evening Press that company bosses were aware of Ryedale's problems.

"Customers should notice that over the coming year we are submitting more applications to the council for masts to be erected in the Ryedale area," he said.

Meanwhile Simon Davies, from Orange, said 99 per cent of their UK customers had good coverage, though there was one per cent, mostly in rural areas like Ryedale, which did not.

But earlier this year plans by phone company Telecom Securicor Cellular Radio Ltd to build a mast in Welburn were refused after Ryedale District Council planners decided it would be obtrusive.

And last month plans for a network of antennae to improve police communications in North Yorkshire led to a wave of protests.