A SOMBRE mood prevails in Hampton Wick now that O2 have returned to erect an unwanted phone mast, after their first attempt was foiled by protesters just weeks earlier.

Local actor Michael Melia - best known as Eastenders' pub landlord Eddie Royal - sat with other campaigners in a hole prepared for a mast by the bridge outside Hampton Wick train station. Residents were delighted when an O2 representative eventually agreed to consider an alternative location.

But last Thursday the workmen were back. Mr Melia said: "This time police came immediately, as soon as people tried getting over the barrier. It's a classic David against Goliath situation. They promised to look for another site but instead have come back more prepared. Everyone in our small community is very upset and some families are considering moving."

Jeremy and Sue Hill are one such family; their house is 12ft from the mast and the children's bedrooms are directly in line with the transmitter. Mr Hill says: "If the mast stays we will definitely be moving. It's so close I just can't take the chance with my children's health."

Mr Hill paid for an injunction to hold off the O2 workmen, but at the last minute O2 solicitors said he would have to pay £5,500 compensation for every month of delay. It was too difficult for Mr Hill to serve the injunction because the law states compensation must be lodged up front with the court - in this case £22,000 - even though compensation may be found unnecessary.

The day after O2 returned, Mr Melia found a bunch of flowers attached to the railings, with an anonymous card: To the children of Hampton Wick. Forgive them, they know not what they do'.

Residents continued to show defiance on Saturday when over 70 people gathered at the site. Mr Melia said: "It was a drizzly day but suddenly it was like a scene from the bible, people appeared from everywhere! It made the message clear that we are not going to lie down and give up. We are not anti mobile phones, but everyone says reception here is fine, so why do we need a 42ft mast, only 100 yards from a school?"

James Stevenson, an O2 spokesman, said: "Richmond upon Thames Council refused our application so we appealed to the government inspector. He visited the site and agreed we could go ahead. But when we first tried to carry out the work residents said they had an injunction, so police wouldn't intervene. We went back with paperwork from the inspector's decision and so police came to resolve the situation."

He added: "It's badly needed in Hampton Wick; we wouldn't go to the expense of building a mast if reception there wasn't a problem. We have 13 million customers in the UK and it's a simple fact that to maintain good reception you need to have more masts."

Regarding the school issue, he commented: "That is always part of the problem in London, because anywhere is close to a school. Hampton Wick is referred to as a village but it is still part of London."

The phone mast was erected on Tuesday and residents held a public meeting on Wednesday evening; they have been further insulted by a notice - attached to the mast - detailing their rights to object to O2 within the next three months.