T-mobile erected the mast - without consulting the residents - for six months on December 18 last year under "emergency powers" because the signal from another mast was blocked by a new housing development.

The six month emergency period ended on June 18 and Broxtowe Borough Council have issued T-mobile with an enforcement notice to take it down, but the phone company said they are going to appeal.

The mast came as a complete surprise to David and Hilary Radulovic and Malcolm and Brenda Fletcher, who found the mast at the bottom of their gardens one evening. T-mobile only told the council the day after it was installed and said it did not need permission. Mr Fletcher, 56, said:

"It's not just the visual effect of seeing it on a constant basis morning to night, but it's the grand kids health we have to think about, and the noise.

"There's a 12 ft Portakabin and generator to run the mast and all we hear at night is the constant groan from it.

"I built a pagoda at the bottom of the garden to enjoy a bit of life but all you can hear is that thing thudding away.

"There's a place for everything and something like that shouldn't be residential.

"It should be on an industrial area."

A few months ago T-mobile applied for planning permission to increase their mast on Nottingham Road in Eastwood from 40ft to 56ft.

The council told Mr Fletcher that they would make it a condition of the application that if the company increased the height of the original one, they would have to take the other one down.

Mr Fletcher is now wondering why T-mobile have appealed and is dreading a call from the council telling him they have applied for permanent planning permission for the 72ft mast.

The council told him the appeal could last until January, meaning the couple have got to put up with it for at least another six months.

Mrs Fletcher, 60, said: " I won't pull my kitchen blinds up now, I leave them shut all day. We even put a green a house up in the garden to try and blind it from our view."

The council have now ordered the company to either remove it or submit a planning application within 28 days. T-mobile have said they need more time to raise the height of the 40ft mast on Nottingham Road.

A T-Mobile spokesman said: "The temporary mast in Eastwood is maintaining coverage for a great many mobile phone users until we complete the move back to the original permanent site nearby, which had been blocked by new development.

"We hope to complete this operation and remove the temporary mast within weeks."