Families have vowed to stop a 12.5m telephone mast bei-ng built on their doorsteps.

Phone giants Vodafone and 02 have applied to Kingston Council for permission to install the mast at the junction of Tudor Drive and Park Road.

They hope to improve 2G and 3G coverage and provide new 4G coverage in north Kingston.

But mother-of-two Emma Holliday, 44, of Tudor Drive, said: “It would be ugly.

“It is going to devalue the properties in the area.

“Some people have had their extensions blocked because it would affect the view of Richmond Park.

“This is going to be huge – four times taller than a lamppost.

“I think it would be a risk to pedestrian traffic – mums with buggies and children on scooters – it would get in the way.”

The phone companies have also applied for six antennas, four radio equipment cabinets, a meter cabinet and ancillary development works.

Last year, they consulted Latchmere School and St Agatha’s Catholic Primary School about their plans.

But a letter in response from Latchmere School stated: “Although we do not object outright to the proposed mast, we feel that caution should be observed.”

The companies previously applied to Kingston Council to put up a mast outside the former Richmond Park Tavern at the junction of Acre Road and Kings Road.

But council officers rejected this stating it would “result in an over-concentration of street furniture, resulting in a cluttered appearance that would harm the character and the appearance of the area”.

The new application states: “The advent of smart phones and other similar devices has seen a substantial increase in traffic, and in locations where coverage is poor or stretched, the existing base station network may not provide sufficient penetration and capacity.

“Vodafone and 02 have a requirement to provide enhanced 3G coverage and capacity to the area, along with new 4G coverage.”

A public consultation will close on March 6.

Vodafone and o2 have also applied to put up telecommunications equipment at Motspur Park and Alexandra Drive.