Battling villagers have won their fight with BT to save their last working red phone box after the telecom giant said it was only used nine times last year.
Residents of Sharrington, Norfolk, were determined not to see the iconic red K6 disconnected and even queued up earlier this month to use it.
The K6 was the first red telephone kiosk to be used extensively outside London and many thousands were installed.
BT wanted to disconnect the box – which is one of only a handful of its kind left in the county – due to its lack of usage.
However today (March 25) it was announced the phone would stay working in the small village.
Steffan Aquarone, Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, said: “It just goes to show you that communities can achieve incredible things when we stand together to protect what matters to us.
“The K6 phone box is a lifeline in this small, rural village.
“When BT said they were planning to remove it, the whole of Sharrington stood up and said ‘absolutely not’.
“It’s so heartening to know that this phone box sign will continue to light up this small, rural corner of North Norfolk for many evenings to come.”
Derek Harris, who is led the resistance against BT, had previously described the campaign as a ‘war’.
He said: “It’s a David and Goliath situation.
“It is a war between the village and BT and we are trying to enlist as much help as we can.
“We want this phone box to remain functioning.”
The 89-year-old, who has lived in the village for 50 years, added: “We are an elderly population who are not great with technology.
“Some of them do not have iPhones and I am not sure they even have land lines.”
Locals claim some elderly locals still rely on the box and because mobile phone coverage can be unreliable in north Norfolk, it is a useful lifeline for ramblers.
Many villages which have seen their phone boxes disconnected have kept them as mini-libraries and information centres or to house defibrillators.
A BT spokesperson confirmed they had decided not to remove the phone.
