TRADERS are concerned about the proposals to put a mobile phone mast on top of a Worcester city centre hotel.

Mobile phone company O2 UK Ltd wants to put three antennae on the roof of Travelodge in Cathedral Plaza so it can increase its network coverage in the city.

Businesses are worried the 23-metre (75 feet) mast will be an eyesore and might cause health problems for workers and shoppers.

While O2 admits it will not do anything to enhance the conservation area, the company said the mast will be put up on the northern side of the hotel away from listed buildings and will reduce the impact on views from the cathedral.

Karen McCarthy, manager of YMCA in Cathedral Plaza, said: "I'm all against mobile phone masts - the less the better. I don't think they are good for the environment and people say they increase the risk of cancer. It would be an eyesore."

Gail Hawthorn, manager of Cooks, agreed.

"It might spoil the view of the cathedral and you have got schools nearby," she said. "People just don't want it."

Cathedral Plaza manager John Kendrick said he thought the plans intrusive.

"It's one of the highest buildings in Worcester and it's opposite the cathedral. We don't want to have it covered in telephone aerials," he said.

Cornucopia's Mike Linton said he did not have a problem with the plans.

"I think the coverage does need improving here. It's not good so that's one thing in favour of having it. And really, before we see the proposed drawings of what it might look like, it's difficult to say that there's anything against it particularly."

O2 community relations manager Angela Johnson said another mast is needed in the city.

"The more people use their phones the more capacity we need," she said. "Our masts will only take a certain amount of calls at any one time.

"They are very low powered - they are 10 times less than a taxi two-way radio transmitter and millions less than a television transmitter - and because they are low powered we have to have more of them."

She said a recent World Health Organisation study showed there was no evidence mobile phone masts pose a health risk.

Nobody from Travelodge was prepared to comment as the building is leased from Land Securities. When contacted nobody was available for comment.