Vigilantes hit mobile phone mast

A group of Hampstead vigilantes sabotaged a mobile phone mast in a night raid.

And instead of condemning the vandalism, many residents are applauding the intruders who ripped out a power box and tipped concrete into cable shafts.

Locals who had protested against T-Mobile's mast outside the Abbey Road estate in West Hampstead welcomed the incident - but denied responsibility.

Patrick Owen, who lives about 10 metres from the mast, said: "I fully support what these people were trying to do but it won't stop the mast from going up anyway.

"They have already started work on it again."

Lisa Watt, of action group Mast Sanity, said the incident would cost T-Mobile thousands of pounds.

"We do not encourage illegal activity but it is the Government's fault for allowing mobile phone companies to put up masts wherever they like," she said.

Residents claim the mast will narrow the pavement and force pedestrians into traffic.

T-Mobile refused to comment on the sabotage but said pedestrian access was taken into account when planning permission was granted.