RESIDENTS in east Cleveland are fighting against the closure of payphone kiosks in the area.

BT is proposing the closure of 12 phone boxes in the Redcar and Cleveland area and dozens more across Teesside as part of a nationwide programme.

The company says it will make sure there is a phonebox within half a kilometre of any which are closed.

But residents remain unhappy because they say some people, especially the elderly, do not own mobile phones and the payphones can be crucial in an emergency.

Joan Guy, chairman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, said: "I appreciate that a lot of people have mobile phones, but what about the people who don't? We should be supporting the have-nots in society.

"BT say they are making sure there is a payphone nearby, but what they think is nearby is not nearby in my mind. Somebody is dead in the time it would take to walk half a kilometre to a phone.

"The parish council will certainly be writing to BT to object. If nothing can be done with the company, I think the public purse should be opened."

BT says the phones have to pay for themselves because they cannot be subsidised.

Company spokesperson Les King said: "13,000 phone boxes have already been removed nationwide. There has been a reduction in the use of payphones of 50 per cent in the last three years, probably because of the ownership of mobile phones."

He was unable to indicate what constituted low usage of a payphone because he said the information was commercially sensitive.

The company is writing to planning authorities including all councils and parish councils in the areas concerned. Notices will be put up in affected phone boxes.

The public then have 42 days to send any objections by letter to their local council which will be forwarded to BT and the company says kiosks will not be removed until objections have been resolved although this will depend on individual circumstances.

Under threat

1 Junction of Marske Road and Rifts Avenue, Saltburn

2 Junction of Upleatham Street and Oxford Street, Saltburn

3 Junction of Windy Hill Lane and Mordales Drive, Marske

4 Junction of Meadow Road and Southfield Road, Marske

5 Fountain Street, Guisborough

6 Ennerdale Crescent and Ullswater Drive, Skelton

7 Park Road, Brotton

8 Junction of West Terrace and Newcomen Terrace, Redcar

9 Junction of Corporation Road and Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar

10 Junction of Mersey Road and Troutbeck Road, Redcar

11 Junction of Ayton Drive and Roseberry Road, Redcar

12 Lord Street, near Red Lion pub, Redcar.