Pensioner resists workers' efforts to build a 50ft 5G tower near his house.

Michael Garman, 69, staged a one-man protest to stop a mast from being installed outside his home in Lowestoft, Suffolk. He found workmen with a digger and promptly parked his motor home and car on the grassy verge, declaring that he owns the 130ft by 30ft plot.

Mr Garman then took a deckchair to sit in while neighbours brought him cups of tea. Since the protest, which happened on Tuesday, the work has been temporarily put on hold. He stated that the contractor's bosses were getting frustrated and the police were eventually called. However, the police announced that it was a civil matter after checking the deeds.

In March, East Suffolk Council gave permission to Cignal Infrastructure Limited to install a 15m mast on the site to provide 3G, 4G and 5G to the area. They had also sent a letter to all households in the immediate area, including Mr Garman's house, and put up a site notice on January 13. Yet, Mr Garman insists that the land is his, as stated on his deeds and that it was only adopted by the council in 1966.

Suffolk County Council said its Highways Records team would be able confirm ownership of the land next week. Mr Garman explained that when he bought the house in 2021, the searches didn't show any evidence the land was not his. He added that the mast would be unsightly and devalue his home as it would be right by his bedroom window.

East Suffolk Council responded that during the consultation stage of the planning application for the mast, they had consulted with local residents and put up a notice detailing the application. They had not received any formal comments regarding the application.

This is not the first time an OAP has staged a one-man protest. Earlier this year, a 70-year-old woman in Sheppey, Kent sat under a tree, with a chair, a quilt and her walking stick, in an effort to halt the felling. According to the local council, the tree was causing subsistence issues to a nearby property.

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