Phone box closure plans opposed

Some villages will lose their only phone box under the proposals

Plans to close 25 phone boxes in villages around Scunthorpe are being opposed by residents.

Telecoms company BT wants to remove the kiosks because they are under-used.

But some villagers have told the local council, which is carrying out a public consultation exercise, that the phones remain a "lifeline" for some people.

Joanne, who lives in Whitton, said: "We need that phone box because we have a lot of elderly people in the village. Not all of them have mobile phones."

She said the phone box was the only one in her village, which lies on the outskirts of Scunthorpe.

"There is one lady in the village who BT have actually cut off and she has not got a lifeline at all," she added.

Deadline looming

However, BT said the number of calls from public payphones had fallen considerably in recent years - mainly due to increased mobile use - making many kiosks unprofitable.

Anyone wanting to register their views on the plans must contact North Lincolnshire Council by letter or email by Wednesday.

Steve Swift, North Lincolnshire Council's cabinet member for corporate services, said: "I have already been contacted by a number of residents with differing views on the retention of telephone boxes.

"The council is happy to act as the go-between in the consultation by receiving people's views - good or bad.

"We will listen carefully to what people have to say and judge each response on its own merit before making our own representation to BT."