HUNDREDS of New Forest parents have pledged to wage war with a pair of telecom giants over fears for their children's safety.

Worried mums are backing pensioner Janet Osborne, who is leading a campaign to remove two communications masts she claims are making her life a misery.

Mrs Osborne says the Vodafone mast and O2 UK installation regularly drive her to tears.

She and husband Trevor, of Southern Gardens, Totton, blame the aerials for regular headaches and a constant ringing in the ears.

Now they are calling for the masts on the roof of the British American Tobacco Social Club to be dismantled.

As reported in the Daily Echo, a bid to erect a third mast on top of the club was foiled by people power.

The remaining two aerials are less than a quarter of a mile from three schools and within half a mile of a fourth school.

Parents of children who attend Abbotswood, Forest Edge and Lydlynch schools have thrown their support behind the pensioner's campaign.

Mrs Osborne has raised a protest petition signed by 360 people.

She said: "I had mothers queuing up to sign. Many didn't even know the masts were there and are quite angry they weren't told about them.

"I could be dead and gone in ten years' time but what happens to these children is my concern."

Totton county councillor Edith Randall is backing Mrs Osborne's campaign and has presented the petition to the new chairman of Hampshire County Council, John Bryant.

She said: "Until it can be absolutely proven there is no danger, and that certainly isn't the case at the moment, I believe these masts should not be erected in residential areas.

"The police say they need them but I think the feeling now at the county council is that the sites should be more carefully selected."

Last week the county council vowed to take a firm stand against masts, which have brought a wave of protests across the county.

Council leader Ken Thornber said the authority could not take the chance of affecting children's health and urged telecoms companies to get round the table and talk about the controversial issue.

A spokeswoman for British American Tobacco said there was no scientific evidence that supported claims that telephone masts damaged health.

Vodafone spokeswoman Jane Frapwell said: "There are international guidelines to which Vodafone complies with which are backed by the World Health Organisation.

"There are currently no known links to any adverse health effects."

A spokeswoman for MmO2 Airwave echoed Vodafone's view.

But she offered to arrange an independent frequency test for Mrs Osborne to prove how low the emissions from her company's installation were.