New consultation over phone boxes

The removal notices were not dated and some were not put up at all

Consultation over proposals to remove 77 BT telephone boxes in south Somerset will start afresh after an error in the removal notices.

The deadline for comments was due to be 2 July, but notices put up on the pay phones were not dated and some were not put up at all.

A council spokesman said it meant there was no clarification over the period in which people could send in responses.

BT and Ofcom said they would start a fresh consultation in the near future.

Residents and councils will have 42 days from the date that new notices are placed in the phone boxes to respond.

South Somerset district council's community development officer Tim Cook said: "All responses should be sent to us, then we will compile everyone's comments and publish a draft list of decisions for the phone boxes.

"This will then be published for public comment, when people can provide more information and when we will send the final response back to BT."

BT has put forward proposals to close hundreds of under-used boxes across the UK.

The company said calls from public payphones have fallen considerably in recent years - mainly due to increased mobile use - making many payphones unprofitable.