Village Fury: BT Plans to Remove Phone Box Used Only Nine Times a Year

Sharrington residents fight to save their red phone box. BT wants to disconnect it. The phone box was the first outside London. Now, few like it remain.

BT says the box gets little use. Only nine calls happen each year. They want to save money by removing it. Locals see it as part of their village. They believe it helps older residents stay connected.

The last call was made in December. Derek Harris leads the fight against BT. He calls it David versus Goliath. Harris, 89, has lived there for 50 years. He says many are not good with new tech. Some might not even have landlines.

BT suggests repurposing the kiosk. Ideas include a mini-library. Another idea is a defibrillator case. Harris wants it to remain a phone.

Mobile signal in rural Norfolk is weak. Walkers sometimes use it to call. He thinks BT should maintain it. BT wants to remove the village heritage. They admitted they will keep trying.

Ofcom rules limit phone box removal. The box must be far from others. Lack of mobile coverage counts. High accident rates nearby also matter. At least 52 calls per year also count. BT says the Sharrington box meets none of those.

Steffan Aquarone supports the villagers. The council wants to protect the kiosk. BT tried to remove it in 2016. They met strong local resistance. BT then stopped the removal.

BT says payphone calls fell 90% recently. They review payphones and remove underused ones. This follows Ofcom rules. BT consults on removing the Sharrington phone box.