Residents' call to keep Herefordshire phone boxes

12:00pm Tuesday 2nd September 2008

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HEREFORDSHIRE residents are fighting back against plans to axe 111 public call boxes across the county.

Herefordshire Council confirmed protestors had sent emails, written letters and posted website comments in their thousands over cost-cutting proposals from BT.

Council leader Roger Phillips said: “People are telling us that the phones are vital lifelines in their communities and, without them, lives could be lost in an emergency.”

Objections regarding the fate of 92 particular phone boxes have been made during an extended consultation process, which now ends on September 26.

So far, 18 of the boxes have been left unspoken for, meaning they will almost certainly go, and one in Monkland near Leominster has already been removed.

Only five of those earmarked by people concerned there would be no way of calling the emergency services – especially in areas without a decent mobile signal – were deemed to be non-essential, meaning the future of 87 kiosks is hanging in the balance.

People from 22 communities have said the elderly and vulnerable rely on their local phone box, five cases of children using payphones regularly to contact parents have been put forward and 21 areas also said call boxes were used by walkers and are vital to tourism.

Responses can still be made to parish liaison and rural services officer Anthony Bush at Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, PO Box 4, Hereford HR4 0XH or by emailing abush@herefordshire.gov.uk For more information on the phone boxes involved, visit www.herefordshire.

gov.uk or call 01432 260006.