Under the proposals, which were submitted to St Edmundsbury Borough Council, a 15-metre high mast would have been built on the PC World site, in Robert Boby Way.

But campaigners received a pleasant surprise this week when O2, the company behind the bid, decided to withdraw the application.

A spokesman said: "We got some adverse comments from the local community and the council planners decided they could not support it, so we decided to look for somewhere else.

"Nothing is more important to us than listening to what local people are saying because, at the end of the day, they make up 17 million of our customers."

The spokesman confirmed they were 'actively looking' for an alternative site in the area, but refused to comment on where these targets were.

Town councillor Richard Rout, who represents the Abbeygate ward, said: "This is an example of how local action can make a difference and we're delighted."

Borough councillor Paul Farmer, who led the campaign against the mast, added: "We'd like to think our residents' campaign made O2 think again."