Campaigners in Birstall have won their battle against telecommunications giant Orange which wanted to erect a mobile phone mast outside a school.

Orange had hoped to put the mast outside St Saviour's Junior School in Upper Batley Lane.

But after months of campaigning and armed with more than 200 signatures on a petition, parents, teachers and councillors have forced it to be moved to playing fields off Leeds Road in Howden Clough.

The protesters were worried about the 300 schoolchildren being at risk from the effects of radiation given off by the mast.

"It will still be sited in playing fields but at least the mast is not overlooking children eight hours a day, five days a week," said Councillor Andrew Palfreeman (Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw).

Chairman of governors at the school, Stuart Archer, said: "I was worried when I heard it would be near the school because you can't prove the masts are safe. However, you can't prove they are unsafe either," he said.

But, despite their victory, Mr Archer said he didn't feel they had won. "Someone else has got the problem now," he said.

"Orange is a very powerful company and I was sceptical about the whole thing. I didn't have a great deal of optimism and I was surprised when they agreed to move the mast."

The 15 metre mast will be placed at the new site provided Kirklees Council agrees to the relocation.

"This has been going on for about a year now but Orange has agreed to find an alternative site," said Coun Palfreeman. "It would have already been erected if we hadn't campaigned. In all fairness, Orange was really good about it."

Orange was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.