Village adopts red telephone box

The village is the first in the country to adopt its red telephone box

A village has "adopted" its red telephone box to try to save it from being scrapped.

The parish council in Lighthorne, Warwickshire, is the first in the country to take over ownership of a telephone box from British Telecom.

BT devised the scheme in response to requests from councils and people who wanted to keep their red call boxes.

Josette Tait, of Lighthorne Parish Council, said the telephone box, which is no longer in use, was a focal point.

BT said it had received more than 300 applications from councils across the UK to adopt their telephone boxes.

The scheme is devised to allow hundreds of unprofitable call boxes, which had been earmarked for removal, to be saved.

Corley, near Coventry, has become the first community to sponsor a payphone.

The parish council will pay £500 per year to help maintain the box and a working telephone service.