VILLAGERS battling to get a mobile phone mast removed from a North Yorkshire village will have their case raised in parliament.

Ryedale Tory MP John Greenway has written to villagers in Sheriff Hutton telling them he will be speaking to the House of Commons in January about a controversial phone mast in the village.

Campaigners in the village have welcomed Mr Greenway's intervention.

Catherine Botting who lives near the mast said: "Mr Greenway has told us he will raise our case for us in January and I am absolutely delighted. Since the mast was vandalised it seems to have made Orange more determined not to talk to us when all we want is to negotiate so hopefully this might get things moving again."

This is the latest twist in a long-running saga involving this mast.

In November The Press reported that vandals attacked the mast and poured concrete into the workings of the 15ft mast.