Campaigners delighted as Streetly phone box removal called off

The red phone box, outside Co-op's Thornhill Road branch in Streetly, was set to be taken away by BT due to a lack of people using it.

But campaigners from the area have launched a petition and have come together to save it – leading to the firm putting the removal plans on hold.

Jennifer Gray, who runs the Streetly Community Group on Facebook, backed the campaign after it was raised by Anne-Marie Goodchild.

Mrs Gray, who started the petition which has attracted 660 signatures, said: "Anne-Marie worked for BT for 41 years and she noticed a sign saying it was going to be taken, and she wanted to save it.

"I run Streetly Community Group and Streetly Parents and she got in touch with me and asked me for help – and we asked how people felt about it.

"We want to save it a re-use it and put a defibrillator in it – or turn it into a library, or a community spot – it's kind of an icon of the past."

The campaigners have contacted councillors in Lichfield – which the area comes under – over the issue after an outpouring of support from people in the area.

The 39-year-old said: "I'm not surprised about the response because I've been running these groups and there's always a great community response.

"This is a community which feels proud to live here and looks after things like this. I think those old phone boxes are lovely, they're a symbol and we want to keep things like that.

"There's been plenty of support from everyone."

Chiefs at BT have said demand for public telephones have fallen by around 90 per cent in the past decade – prompting the removal of the phone boxes.

The removal of the phone box in Streetly has been put on hold as the community launches a bid to adopt it fully.

To see the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/annemarie-goodchild-btinternet-com-save-the-traditional-phone-box-in-streetly-village-for-community-use