BT has launched a consultation into proposals to remove 44 public telephone boxes and kiosks from across Swindon.

As the use of mobile phones becomes more widespread, our reliance on access to public telephones is rapidly declining.

Of the 44 phone boxes earmarked for possible removal, 14 have had no calls made from them over the last 12 months.

Some 27 have seen fewer than ten calls in that time.

The phonebox that has seen the greatest number of calls is situated just outside the Asda supermarket in the West Swindon District Centre - however at 736 calls, even that is only an average of just over two a day.

Perhaps surprisingly, call rates from those boxes in rural areas, where mobile signal is inconsistent, are low across the board.

The consultation will run until January 2017 with borough councillors and local parish councils being asked to canvas opinion in their communities and feed it back.

Where a community wishes to keep their phonebox, BT will not insist on removal providing there is a reasonable justification.

However where the phonebox is not being used and the community have no desire to hang on to it, the removal will proceed.

Just four of the 44 are the traditional red style of telephone box, they are located in outlying villages including Hinton Parva, Chiseldon, Badbury and Bishopstone.

While these four sites account for just nine phone calls between them in the past year - BT are aware of the heritage-based reasons for wanting to keep them intact.

They have developed the ‘adopt a kiosk’ scheme which allows communities to purchase the phonebox for just £1 to then use it to benefit the community - some areas have converted phone boxes into book drops and mini libraries for example.

Others have used them as art installations.

A spokesman for BT said: “In all instances where there is no other payphone within 400 metres, we’ll ask for consent from the local authority. Where we receive objections, we won’t remove the payphone.

“As an alternative, we will continue to promote the Adopt a Kiosk scheme whilst being committed to maintaining the payphones that remain.”

Pigeons or phone calls?

STANDING in the vicinity of the phonebox at Asda in West Swindon, you would be forgiven for doubting it was one of Swindon’s busiest.

Over the course of half an hour, the arrival of birds was almost constant - visits from would-be callers, non-existent.

Indeed some passing shoppers, frequent visitors to the centre, were unaware of its existence. 

Pauline Moyes, 45, from Toothill, said: “To be honest, until you pointed it out I didn’t even know it was there. We all use mobiles these days.”

Even 72-year-old Janice Redmond had caught the digital bug. 

“My grandchildren got it for me,” she said. 

“I haven’t used a phonebox for many years now, in fact I can’t remember the last time I did.

“I like the red ones though, they should keep because they’re traditional.”