The telephone giant wants to take away 56 public payphones in the district under full public consultation.

But Coun Tom Brown is concerned about the number of phones BT want to remove.

“Yes most of us know adays have mobile telephones and landlines but there is a small minority who don’t,” said Coun Brown.

“What about elderly people who live out in these remote and rural areas of the district - they could well depend on these payphones.”

“Another concern I also have is about emergency calls - mobiles don’t work in every area and not having a payphone in remote area to use to call 999,” added the Gainsborough North Ward member.

When the Standard took the picture for the story the phone box on Lea Road didn’t even work.

BT says almost 60 per cent of its payphones are unprofitable with almost 6,000 phones making less than one call a month and payphone usage has halved in the last two years with calls still declining at 20 per cent year on year.

Coun Pat O’Connor, Gainsborough Trent member for Lincolnshire County Council echoed Coun Brown’s comments.

“My concern is how many phone boxes have been left redundant like the one Coun Brown found on Lea Road?” he said.

“I don’t think removing public payphones should just go on the amount of usage - there should be a much wider criteria.

“I think I will take this issue on board and contact BT with my concerns,” added Coun O’Connor.

BT are currently carrying out a consultation on the removal of the 56 pay phones in the district.

“BT is committed to providing a public payphone service, however over the years as usage has declined BT has been constantly reviewing and where necessary rationalising its public payphone estate in order to meet demand,” said a spokesperson.

“Any removal of unprofitable payphones is carried out in strict adherence to the Ofcom guidelines and where appropriate with the consent of the local communities.”

BT has contacted West Lindsey District Council to consult with the authority on the plans.

“We have also informed the council that we will be removing other kiosks where we do not need to consult as this is simply a question of thinning the estate where there are kiosks close together, he added

“UK-wide, less than one call a week is made from more than half the kiosks in the consultation, and less than one call a month is made from a third.”

“In all instances where there is not another payphone within 400 metres we need the local authority`s consent to remove the kiosk and if there is a clear social need for those phones then they won’t be removed,” he concluded.