A group of Bushey residents has successfully fought "appalling" plans to erect a mobile phone mast outside their homes.

Network operators o2 and Vodafone entered a joint bid to Hertsmere Borough Council earlier this year to erect an 11.8-metre mast at the junction of Melbourne Road and Palmer Avenue.

Neighbours of the site gathered a petition of 300 signatures opposing the move, and more 70 letters of objection were sent to the council.

On Monday, planning officers rejected the application in what campaigners described as "a victory for the little guy".

Katherine Nicolai, of Melbourne Road, who gathered the petition, said: "I am very happy, although I think this will not be the end of the matter.

"It was a great result for the local community, the plans were appalling, I just had a knee jerk reaction that something needed to be done to stop it."

Special planning rules meant the mast application was not heard by the council's planning committee.

Instead, a team of planning officers assessed the designs, concluding that they did not blend in with the surrounding area and would have created an eye sore.

Mother-of-three Mrs Nicolai added: "I think this is the start of a long fight - I'm expecting them to appeal and try again - but it is nice to have won round one."