Dozens of phone calls were made to the emergency services from phone boxes earmarked for removal by BT, it has emerged.
The phone company has given notice of its intention to withdraw more than 90 North Yorkshire kiosks classed as ‘last at site’, meaning there are no other payphones within 400 metres.
The move is part of an ongoing rationalisation of underused phone boxes by BT.
In its response to a 90-day consultation launched by BT for more than 40 of the phone boxes in the Craven, Scarborough, Ryedale and Selby areas, North Yorkshire Council said there was evidence to retain all the payphones identified for removal.
The council also noted that while local residents would be aware which mobile phone networks had a signal, visitors may not be equipped with a working mobile phone.
Figures provided to the council by North Yorkshire Police reveal that 68 calls were made to the force from the at-risk payphones over 12 months.
One phone box in Bondgate, Selby, was used to call the police 12 times, while kiosks in Hunmanby, near Filey, and Embsay, in the Yorkshire Dales, were used nine times to ring the force.
Phone boxes in Sandsend, near Whitby, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Weaverthorpe, near Malton, were all used multiple times to call the police.
The council said in its response: “North Yorkshire is a very popular visitor destination with large areas of rural landscapes and activities to enjoy.
“Unfortunately, incidents and accidents needing emergency or helpline advice will happen, and North Yorkshire Council would urge BT to carefully consider the potential impact that removing a ‘last at site’ payphone could have on visitors to the region and the community.
“The local community will be aware which mobile service providers have a better-quality signal for their settlement and will purchase mobile service provider contracts appropriately.
“Visitors to the region may not be aware of weaker signal areas for different service providers, so if an incident arises that does need emergency or helpline advice, they may not be able to use their own mobile phone.”
The council said a further concern was BT’s move to using a digital system, which meant that during power outages, BT kiosks would become the only means of making emergency calls if there was no reliable mobile service.
Upper Dales councillor, Yvonne Peacock, said that while mobile coverage had improved in recent years, communities wanted to keep their phone boxes.
“People walking or cycling the area don’t necessarily have the right network to get a signal, so if there’s an emergency, their only option may be to use a payphone.
“We’ve made representations to BT, but the problem is they look at how many calls have been made, and the numbers are often very low.”
A separate consultation for 32 ‘last at site’ phone boxes in the Hambleton and Richmondshire areas will be held later this year.
The final decision on the removal of the kiosks rests with BT.
The company can only remove ‘last at site’ kiosks if certain criteria are met.
These include the area having mobile phone coverage for all four networks, the box not being in an area with a high accident or suicide rate, and the payphone having been used to make fewer than 52 calls over the previous 12 months.
Communites can choose to adopt the phone boxes if BT decides to remove the payphone from inside the kiosk.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted BT for comment.
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