Furious villagers have declared ‘war’ on BT (Image: SWNS)
Residents of Sharrington in have launched a “David and Goliath” style fight to keep their iconic red phone box in operation after BT announced plans to disconnect it.
The kiosk was the first of its kind to be in regular use outside and is now one just a handful remaining of the thousands once scattered across the region.
BT has suggested that the phone box’s modest usage – taking around nine calls each year – means it should be disconnected to save costs.
But furious locals have come to view it as a part of the village’s fabric, and crucial to keeping its elderly population connected with family and friends – even though the most recent call was made in December.
“It is a war between the village and and we are trying to enlist as much help as we can,” Derek Harris, who is leading the resistance effort, said.
“It’s a David and Goliath situation. We want this phone box to remain functioning.”
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Elderly residents believe the kiosk still provides vital service (Image: SWNS)
Mr Harris, 89, who has lived in Sharrington for 50 years, added: “We are an elderly population who are not great with technology. I am not even sure [some people] have landlines.”
BT has suggested that residents could find an inventive new use for the classic kiosk – designed by renowned architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – such as turning it into a mini-library or defibrillator case.
But campaigners led by Mr Harris are insistent that the box retain its traditional function – especially in rural Norfolk, where mobile phone signal can be patchy, occasionally compelling visiting walkers to nip in to make a call.
“BT make enough money. They should maintain it and keep it functioning,” the 89-year-old said.
“They are relentless in their desire to remove this cherished part of village heritage. They are waging a war of attrition and they have admitted that.
“They have even said, ‘If you succeed, we will come back again and again and again’.”
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Under Ofcom rules, the company can’t remove the phone box if it is over 400 metres from another kiosk and meets one of four criteria.
These include a lack of mobile phone coverage in the area, a high frequency of accidents or suicides nearby or at least 52 calls being made each year.
While BT has suggested that the Sharrington box meets none of these criteria, Steffan Aquarone, the Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, has supported the villagers’ campaign and the parish council is trying to grant the kiosk listed status to ensure further protection.
The broadband provider tried to remove the phone box once before in 2016, but was similarly met with widespread local resistance and ended up backing down.
A spokesperson for BT said: “Calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90% in the past decade.
“BT Is continuing to review its remaining estate of payphones, removing those that are no longer being used in line with rules set out by Ofcom.
“As part of BT’s wider programme to remove underused payphones across the UK, BY is consulting with North Norfolk District Council on the removal of the payphone in Sharrington.”