Plans to put a phone mast in an area of outstanding natural beauty are likely to be thrown out tomorrow.

Residents of Ardingly were furious when they heard Orange wanted to install a 25-metre mast on the site of the old telephone exchange in Lindfield Road.

Within a week they collected 180 signatures and more than 30 people sent letters to Mid Sussex District Council voicing their fears.

Jennifer Entwisle, of Lindfield Road, Ardingly, who helped organise the petition, said: "It is fantastic. We are delighted. Hopefully, there should be quite a few of us at the meeting to see it turned down."

Residents were worried about the impact on the countryside, noise nuisance and the disturbance to wildlife.

They feared it was too close to homes and did not see why there needed to be another mast when there was already one a few miles down the road at the South of England Showground.

Councillor Caroline Steer said: "I am pleased the officers have decided to put it forward for refusal. Ardingly is a rural area. We would like to keep it that way.

"I shall be at the meeting and I sincerely hope it will be refused. Orange may go to appeal but hopefully, this is the first point for us."

A meeting of Mid Sussex District Council's north area planning committee takes place tomorrow in the Dove Suite, The Ark, Turners Hill, at 7pm.