A REMOVAL notice has been served on a phone box in Wivenhoe.

BT, which still maintains about 20,000 payphones across the UK, sent a letter to the chief planning officer at Colchester Council to inform them the telephone box in Wivenhoe High Street is no longer needed.

A notice on the phone box reads: “We’re planning to remove this payphone.

“Unfortunately, it just isn’t used enough for us to carry on running it.

“If you think it should stay, please contact your local authority within 90 days.”

The 90-day window allows the public to make representations about BT’s plans, though according to a recent assessment carried out by the company, the payphone has not been used once in the last year.

The assessment also showed Wivenhoe High Street is not designated as a high frequency accident location or a high frequency suicide location.

BT also found there was no other evidence the phone box was of reasonable need.

Communities can ‘adopt’ phone boxes, however, with many around the UK having been turned into defibrillator sites and mini libraries.

The 90-day representation period, which started last month, closes on September 18.

Representations can be made by contacting btp.authorisation.team@bt.com.