Wiltshire man calls for phone box return after car collision

BT said the phone box was too damaged to be repaired, and have applied to have it de-listed

A man has called for the return of a listed 1970s telephone box near his house, after the rare item was hit by a car and damaged.

The K8 red telephone box in Highworth, Wiltshire, was one of about 50 left nationwide, and was given a Grade II listing in 2010.

After it was struck, BT removed it, saying it could not be repaired.

"It has been here for so many years, and I was hoping it could be repaired," said nearby resident Tom Sykes.

The box was hit in January 2023, in an accidental collision. There were no injuries at the time.

It was removed by BT on 19 May.

BT asked Swindon Borough Council to take the kiosk off the listed buildings register on 30 May.

A council report on 2 August said it is "unlikely the box will be replaced."

"For me this has historical value, it was important enough to be listed so it should be maintained for future generations," Mr Sykes said.

Mr Sykes believes BT should repair the phone box and reinstall it

The box became a small community library in recent years.

Around 11,000 K8 phone boxes were installed across the country between 1968 and 1983, but almost all of them have now been removed.

Catherine Croft, Director of The 20th Century Society, told the BBC that the boxes were a "bright red flash in the landscape.

"They were infused with modernism and were a great bit of design.

"The K8 is the child of those iconic phone boxes designed by Giles Gilbert Scott," she said.

A BT spokesperson said: "After removing the phone box and carrying out a detailed assessment of the damage, we were regrettably unable to repair and restore the kiosk. "We have been in conversations with the relevant authorities to remove the listing from this kiosk."

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