ANGRY York residents have pledged to "keep up the fight" against a controversial mobile phone mast - even though the odds are now stacked against them.

Phone company T-Mobile wants to install a 10m-high mast in a busy residential area in Tang Hall Lane.

The move has sparked furious protests from hundreds of local residents concerned about health and safety.

The site of the proposed mast, at the junction of Melrosegate and Tang Hall Lane, is only 100m away from a nursery and 200m away from a primary school.

City of York Council planners received a 524-name petition and 76 letters of objection, two of which were passed on by local MP Hugh Bayley. The application was due to be discussed by local councillors at a planning meeting last month, but the process was delayed when it emerged that the nursery had not been formally consulted.

The application will now be dealt with at a special meeting on Thursday - but councillors have been advised that there are no technical grounds for objecting to the mast. A report by planning officers accepts that there is "a significant level of local opposition to the development", but concludes the proposals "would not cause undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance".

Local resident Lydia Paish, who has two young children, said: "The legislation seems to be completely biased in favour of the mobile phone operators. Technically the councillors can't take account of local opposition or the potential health risk when they make their decision.

"The fight goes on - we will be at the meeting on Thursday, and we will be objecting, but it will be difficult to get the application thrown out. There is some hope, but the odds are stacked against us."

A spokesman for T-Mobile said it would not be appropriate for the company to comment before Thursday.

Updated: 10:58 Tuesday, September 06, 2005