SECURITY is being beefed up at a mobile phone mast used by pirate radio stations to put up aerials for illegal broadcasts.

Residents near the Orange mast at Hambro Hill, Rayleigh, face repeated disruption to BBC Radio 4 due to aerials placed on top of the tower.

Orange promised action after it emerged an aerial was still in place there on Monday.

An Orange spokeswoman said: "Given this latest incident we will be looking at further measures to secure the site. We have also instructed engineers to remove the pirate radio equipment as soon as possible.”

Last week the Echo revealed that pirate DJs had been banished from the 3/4 estate in Vange. Estate owner South Anglia Housing and Ofcom found the lofts of six blocks of flats had been taken over by pirate stations who added their own hatches and locks so they could install masts and other equipment and control access.

More in Tuesday and Wednesday's Echo.