WINCHESTER campaigners are worried by fresh plans for a phone mast near another school.

O2 wants to put up a 15-metre mast close to St Swithun's girls' school in Alresford Road on the eastern edge of the city.

The deadline for objections is this Friday. A site visit by city council planners will be made during the half-term holidays.

St Swithun's already has an Orange phone mast on its land, close to the M3, which was put up about eight years ago.

A spokesman for the school said it had asked for more information from O2 about the possible radiation levels from the new mast.

"We are aware of the understandable concern of some of our parents," he said. "We are also consulting our own professional advisers and we will decide on our response and comments to planners when we have all the relevant information."

Karen Barratt, a Byron Avenue mast campaigner, said the mast at the school should not go ahead.

She said the recent updated report by Sir William Stewart urged a precautionary approach to mast siting near schools.

Mrs Barratt said: "The government ignored many of Stewart's recommendations five years ago. Now he's told them again.

"How many more times does he have to say it? They really must act now and stop putting children at risk."

Mrs Barratt called for current planning guidance to be revised, taking account of the Stewart report.

Meanwhile campaigners against the Byron Avenue mast are still waiting to hear whether they can appeal to the House of Lords.

City MP Mark Oaten has been assured by Orange that the mast will not be put up until campaigners have exhausted all their options.