ANGRY councillors have blasted Government rules on phone masts which they claim could make Kent's countryside "look like a concentration camp". Tonbridge and Malling councillors have spoken out against regulations which gives mobile phone companies a free hand to build masts anywhere - and claimed there could be one in every mile of countryside in 10 years' time.

The Government does not allow councils to turn down plans for masts outright. They can only have a say on the design and location.

The councillors' outburst came on Wednesday night as they discussed plans by Orange for a powerful 15m high mast in Wateringbury, to give better coverage to a wedge of almost uninhabited Green Belt land. Members refused the design for the mast but can do nothing to stop the mobile phone company building it on a site near Oast Cottages, Mill Lane.

Wateringbury Cllr Susan Levett (Lib Dem) said: "The concept that the countryside should be peopled by these enormous masts without local residents having any say seems to be quite wrong. The antenna on this mast is enormous and very imposing and we can expect a large amount of barbed wire - so it will look like a concentration camp or how West Berlin used to be."

Cllr Matthew Balfour (Con) added: "These companies were given 10 years by the Government to have good coverage to around 95 per cent of homes - and that time is coming up. Ultimately there could be one of these masts every mile." But Orange said the site was not ideal for the mast and had been chosen to make it less intrusive on the countryside.

A statement by Orange said: "By siting the mast in this location the network planner is prepared to accept that there would be a small amount of coverage loss to the area between Wateringbury and Teston.

"The design of the headframe is site specific. If it were to be reduced in size this would cause a further coverage loss."

But councillors said the area between Wateringbury and Teston was open countryside and was not in need of better mobile phone coverage. Cllr Levett said: "There is a bad signal in that area, but it is a green wedge - I cannot see any coverage loss in that area being detrimental to anyone.

"The only people who could be using mobile phones in that area are people out on a walk."

Councillors at the planning meeting requested that the mast be made less powerful. They will also try to force a vote at the next full council meeting, on Thursday, February 28, to make companies share masts.