Esat Digifone went ahead with its controversial plans to site a telecommunciations mast at the Garda station in Collooney, Co Sligo, yesterday despite strong local opposition.
Workers began erecting the structure around 6 a.m. as a Garda force of about 60 sealed off the area. The Garda station was the scene of a protest by locals two weeks ago when initial work on the mast was carried out.
A spokeswoman for Collooney Against Urban Masts, Ms Mary Leyden, said her group decided not to stage a protest yesterday due to the presence of such a large force of gardai. She said that the campaign of opposition against the mast, which is situated across the road from a national school, would continue.