ANGRY residents are calling on a vicar to resign after a church was allowed to attach a phone mast to its spire.

Despite fears that the mast will be used to distribute pornography to children, telecommunications giant T-Mobile was given the green light by the ecclesiastical Court of Arches to erect it on SS Peter and Paul Church, The Green, Chingford.

But a petition with 1,257 signatures says those who have signed it have a total lack of confidence in the Rector of Chingford, Rev Tom Page, the churchwardens and Parochial Church Council (PCC) because they are in favour of the mast.

A spokesman for the Chelmsford Diocese said: "The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Rev John Gladwin, has the full confidence in the judgement and in Rev Page, the churchwardens and PCC."

Resident Stephen Turner, who lead a legal challenge against the mast, is also furious with the judgement.

In a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, he said: "Having read the judgement, it is my respectful opinion that it is fundamentally flawed both in law and principle.

"The judgement has clearly set a precedent, which opens a legal gateway for the Church of England to become involved in the distribution of pornography and also the distribution of child abuse images for indirect financial gain."

He called on Dr Williams to reconvene the Archbishop's Council to reconsider a policy set out in 2002 relating to mobile phone masts and consider a less controversial way of making money for the church.