AN Exmoor village is celebrating after a new communications mast has finally brought mobile phone signal to Waterrow.

Many local businesses were delighted after the big switch on last Thursday brought Waterrow 'into the 21st century'.

Jamie Cook, who runs the Waterrow Touring Park, said he hoped it would be a big boost for local businesses and was a must from a health and safety perspective.

"Over the years we have had two stroke victims and a couple of heart attacks and we once had a lady who broke her arm in three places and you couldn't get any signal, which is all precious time when someone is in trouble," Mr Cook said.

"In many areas where you do not get signal you can still get through to the emergency services but phoning from here they could not hear me."

"We are just glad Waterrow has finally joined the 21st century, and we hope this will bring more customers for us and the whole area."

Blake Fewster, a specialist cabinet maker in the village, said it felt like Christmas.

"It will have a massive impact. Since the mast was switched on last Thursday I have realised just how much potential business I was missing out on," Mr Fewster said.

"People would leave me messages which I wouldn't receive until a up to a week later by which time I may as well I may have missed 5 or 6 extra calls a month, and that is a substantial amount of work to be losing out on.

"You would try to explain to people that you don’t have signal where you are but it does make you seem like a bit of a fool!"

Chairman of the parish council, David Grandstand said he was delighted the mast, which the village has been campaigning toward for two years, was finally up and running.

"It has been a long time coming. I would like to thank all the support from the people in the village for this project.

"It is so important for the village of Waterrow as there are around 20 businesses here who will benefit from the new mast, and also the emergency services will be able to get signal."