DOZENS of public payphones could be removed from towns and villages across South Cumbria within the next few months, including a phone box in Kendal used 60 times a month.

Residents have one last chance to save dozens of public payphones put forward for removal by BT.

More than 45 payphones could be removed from towns and villages across South Cumbria if objections are not put forward before the consultation closing date of October 11.

Among those currently projected for removal are ten payphones in Kendal, including ones in Burton Road, Hallgarth Circle, Crook and outside McDonald's on Stricklandgate which is used on average 60 times a month.

Ulverston, Broughton, Kirkby, Coniston, Ambleside, Grange, Windermere and Kendal have also been named as areas proposed to lose a number of payphones.

The majority of payphones put forward for removal are not used more than twice a month.

The current stance of South Lakeland District Council is that none of the payphones should be removed unless a community actively agrees to its removal or a community would like to adopt the phone box and change its use.

Mark Wilson, South Lakeland District Councillor, said the payphones cost a significant amount of money to maintain.

He said: "This is a last bit of consultation now until the final decision is made.

"Everyone has a mobile phone these days so the payphones just aren't used like they used to be.

"Payphones are very maintenance heavy and cost a lot of money to continue to maintain, especially if no one is using them.

"If someone seriously needs a payphone close to their home or does not own a mobile phone, they should put their opinion forward for consideration.

"I will always champion phone boxes which are genuinely needed. This is people's last chance to save them."

However, David Webster, councillor for Ulverston East, said the phone boxes are used and therefore should remain.

He said: “There are people who don’t have a mobile and it will be a struggle for them.

"They are being removed due to a lack of usage, but people are using them, especially older people who don’t own mobile phones. I think they should remain.”

A spokesman for BT said that public telephones have fallen by around 90 per cent in the past decade.

He said they consider a number of factors before consulting on the removal of payphones, including whether other phone boxes are available in nearby areas as well as how much they are used.