A mother has vowed to continue her fight against the extension of a mobile phone mast next to her home after the plans were given the green light.

Sarah Harle, of Forest Hall Road, Forest Hall, North Tyneside, has been battling for months to stop phone company T-Mobile adding three antennae to the mast on the roof of the Ritz Bingo Hall in her street.

The 34-year-old single mother-of-one has collected a petition of 400 signatures and letters of complaint from a councillor and from three schools located within a few hundred yards of the mobile phone mast.

But despite her protest North Tyneside Council last week gave T-Mobile the go ahead for the extension.

Ms Harle, a kitchen assistant and play worker, said last night she was disgusted the council had ignored the strength of public feeling and has now written to the Local Government Ombudsman to complain.

Last night she said: "I am determined that this will not go ahead. It will create an eyesore. It already looks ugly and if there are three antennae added it will look even uglier.

"The second point is it could be damaging to people's health.

"There are families living close to the mast and Forest Hall, Ivy Road and St Mary's Primary Schools and Forest Hall Day Nursery are all close by." Benton ward Conservative councillor John Goodfellow has taken up Ms Harle's cause and has written to the council to voice his concern.

In his letter, he wrote: "The three proposed antennae are not going to blend in and will be an eyesore on the skyline, creating the illusion of a run-down, uncared-for area."

He also argued the masts were not suitable in a densely populated area and he drew attention to the potential impact on the environment and the health of those living nearby.

The Government- commissioned Stewart report published in 2000 is inconclusive on the impact of mobile phone masts on people's health.

A mast with three antennae was installed on the Ritz building in August 2003, but T-Mobile said an extension was necessary to provide phone coverage in the Forest Hall Road area.

The phone company said the extension would "not adversely impact upon the quality of its surroundings." A spokeswoman said last night: "T-Mobile is confident that its base stations, operating within strict national and international guidelines, do not present a health risk to any member of the public."

North Tyneside Council declined to comment last night on Ms Harle's decision to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.