A ROW has broken out between a Southampton bowling club and its neighbours over plans to construct a 15-metre mobile phone mast.

Woolston Bowling Club has accepted an approach from telecoms company Hutchison 3G to install a mobile phone mast in its car park and a planning application has been submitted to the city council.

But the move comes only two months after a landmark case in which the national Planning Inspectorate turned down an appeal from Hutchison after the city council rejected a 12-metre phone mast only 200 yards from the bowling club because of health concerns.

Now neighbours, who claim the bowling club did not tell them about the application, are organising a petition against the mast, which will be sited in Temple Road, Woolston.

Petition organiser Sonia Wallen, who lives only ten yards from where the mast would be sited, said she is worried about the health risks to nearby nursery and secondary schools.

Bowling club vice-president Derek Head admitted the club was going to make money from the deal, but he said that any financial help a small club like his can get is welcome.

"Are the residents aware of the output?" he asked. "It's only minimal. I've no fears about it. We have had reassurances from Hutchison."

No one from Hutchison was available to comment.