Vodafone wants to erect a 10m telegraph pole at the junction of Sutton Avenue and Eastbourne Road and has applied for permission to Lewes District Council.

The mobile phone giant said the mast was needed to improve internet broadband reception for phones using its 3G network.

The site is also only a short distance from where Vodafone wanted to put a similar mast on the Sutton Corner junction, but abandoned it after residents' protests.

Seaford town councillor Roy Bennett said there was no need for 3G masts in the town and was worried even more applications were in the pipeline.

He told the Express: 'How many people have these phones?

'They're expensive and I think the majority of people in Seaford just have mobile phones for convenience and emergencies.

'We are going to get more and more masts put up but I don't think the demand is there.

'Seaford has quite an elderly population and it will be years before it has a population which uses this sort of technology.'

Vodafone already has permission for a mast in Beacon Drive and earlier this month caused controversy by applying for permission to put a mast outside St Peter's Church in Belgrave Road.

Cllr Bennett said: 'This is going to be their ploy of flooding Seaford with applications for masts.'

A Vodafone spokesman said the new site was chosen after public criticism of the earlier proposed mast on Sutton Corner.

He said: 'This site was chosen as it provides a backdrop of street furniture and trees so that the proposed timber telegraph pole supporting structure will not be visually intrusive.

'The current proposed location has the support of the local planning authority officer.'