TWO years ago, Joseph Geldert fought plans to put up a mobile phone mast outside his back door.
He tried everything to stop Hutchison 3G putting up a mast, including raising a petiton from neighbours worried about a possible risk to their children's health.
But their pleas fell on deaf ears, and the 73-year-old has since had to put up with a 4
0ft mast behind his house.
Now the pensioner has been left stunned after being told a second phone company wants to put up a mast – just yards away from the first.
Joseph, of Burford Gardens, Tunstall, said the O2 application was "ridiculous".
The firm has picked the rear of his house as a perfect site for their new mast, just 20 yards from the 3G mast.
An O2 spokesman said: "We searched the area thoroughly and this site had the least impact on the local community.
"We try to blend the masts in with the streetscapes as much as possible to mininmize the effect on the area and the local community."
Joseph said: "It's ridiculous. From their point of view I'm sure it's on high ground, but it's not screened away from view at all.
"They didn't even consider a site a 100 yards away that is screened from sight."
As well as the visual intrusion the mast will cause, Joseph is also worried about possible health implications for his neighbours.
The new mast will stand next the old mast at the same height of 40ft, but the phone company has moved to quell health fears.
The O2 spokesman added: "A vast amount of research into mobile phone technology has been done in the last four years and to date nothing has come up with a link.
As far as we are concerned, there is no risk to people's health."
