A GROUP of Beverley residents are bracing themselves for battle once again after phone giant O2 put in an application to extend a mast in the town centre.

In 2003, the Beverley Mast Action Group was set up to fight plans for a larger replacement mast on the Beverley Town Cricket and Recreation Ground in Norwood Park.

Residents won the day after the application was refused and O2 decided not to appeal.

But now, five years on, O2 has put in another application to extend the current mast by five metres and add on extra telecommunications equipment.

But resident Sue Hurst, who spearheaded the last campaign, is determined to fight the plans once again.

She said: “Five years on and the situation is exactly the same. We set up an action group last time and we are doing it again.

“Do we really have to go through this every few years? It's ridiculous.

“A recreation club that supports health and activity is not the place for phone transmitter.”

Mrs Hurst is also objecting on the grounds that it will have a detrimental visual impact and a petition with 180 signatures has been handed in to planners.

But O2 insists the extended mast, which would involve sharing with Orange, would vastly improve coverage.

A spokesperson said: “The site will significantly improve 3G coverage and capacity to O2 customers in the local area and enable the network to cope with the huge increase in demand for mobile data.”

The application will come before planners on August 22.