Four men arrested after BT cable theft in Harrogate district

Four men have been arrested after a BT cable was stolen last week near Green Hammerton.

North Yorkshire Police said the men, aged 21, 38, 43 and 52 were arrested in connection with the theft at 11.11pm on August 8.

The cable was stolen from a BT cable junction box on the B6265 between Little Ouseburn and Green Hammerton.

Phone cable theft, which disrupts services for customers, has increased because of the value of copper wires.

The four men were arrested when officers pulled over their white van, which was displaying the false registration plates YT16 YTS and had been stolen.

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The 21-year-old man has been charged with driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He remains on bail.

The three other men have been released under investigation while police enquiries continue.

A police statement added:

“Officers are urging anyone who saw the van, or saw anything suspicious, in the area at the time of the incident to get in touch. Dial 101, press 2 and ask to speak to PC 1362 David Kaye, or email David.Kaye@northyorkshire.police.uk

“Please quote the reference number 12220140263 when passing on any information.”

Harrogate district village rallies to save phone box

A village phone box has been saved after residents objected over concerns that it may be required for emergency use.

BT launched a consultation on a proposal to remove the red phone booth from Grantley, near Ripon, after it said there was sufficient mobile coverage in the area.

It planned to remove the phone box, along with two others in Bishop Monkton and Markington.

However, Grantley and Sawley Parish Council objected to the move over concerns that the village has a defibrillator which is used by residents and passing cyclists and walkers.

In a letter to BT, David Taylor, clerk of the parish council, said:

“The parish council supports a defibrillator in the village for the benefit of the local community and for walkers and cyclists who regularly pass through the village.

“It is absolutely essential that a reliable means of telecommunication exists in the event that the defibrillator unit requires deployment.

“Until there is a universal and reliable mobile telephone and broadband service in the area, the village are very much opposed to the de-commissioning and removal of the payphone.”

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As a result, Harrogate Borough Council objected to the removal of the phone box. 

However, it has offered no objection to removing those on Boroughbridge Road in Bishop Monkton and High Street in Markington.

A BT spokesperson confirmed the booth would remain in place and added that the company was encouraging residents to adopt red phone boxes for community use.

The spokesperson said:

“With the vast majority of people now using mobile phones, it’s led to a huge drop in the number of calls made from pay phones. At the same time, mobile coverage has improved significantly in recent years due to investment in masts.

“There are many pay phones that see no calls made from them each month. So, we’re giving communities the chance to decide how best they can use their local phone box.

“We’ve consulted with Harrogate Borough Council on the proposed removal of three pay phones in the area. The council raised an objection to the removal of a payphone in Grantley, so the service will stay in place. We received no objection to the removal of two pay phones in Markington and Bishop Monkton.

“For iconic red kiosks, we’re encouraging communities or charities to adopt them for only £1, so they can transform them into things like lifesaving heart defibrillator units, or libraries. Communities can also adopt glass ones for defibrillators. More than 6,400 kiosks have been adopted already through our website, bt.com/adopt.”

Last year, BT Group announced plans to remove 32 inactive booths across the Harrogate district, 22 of which were built in the traditional red style.

Oatlands Community Group saved a disused red phone box on St Hilda’s Road from the scrapheap by turning it into a community library.

Harrogate phone box transformed into community library

A disused red phone box on St Hilda’s Road in Harrogate has been saved from the scrapheap and turned into a community library.

Last year, BT Group announced plans to remove 32 inactive booths across the Harrogate district, 22 of which were built in the traditional red style.

BT encouraged communities to keep the red telephone kiosks under its “adopt-a-kiosk” scheme, which costs £1 and lets community organisations, including councils and charities, transform the kiosks into defibrillator sites, mini-libraries and more.

The Oatlands Community Group has successfully adopted the St Hilda’s phone box, which is now called The Saints Community Library and can be used to store up to 200 books for people to swap, free of charge.

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Jane Kennerley, a member of the group, told the Stray Ferret she believes similar community libraries have been set up inside former phone boxes in Pannal and North Rigton in the Harrogate district.

The new library on St Hilda’s Road will be adapted for themed events, such as Red Nose Day, World Book Day and Pride.

To kick this off, from Monday it will celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight by featuring books from countries that produce Fairtrade goods.

Hand sanitiser is available on entry and people are advised to quarantine all books for 72 hours prior to using them.

Ms Kennerley said the phone box has already generated a great response from the local community.

She said:

“People seem to love it and it’s been really busy, especially with the charity shops being closed in Harrogate.”

Communities must step in to save red phone boxes in Harrogate district

More than 30 phone boxes will be removed by BT unless communities come together to save them.

BT said it is considering the removal of 32 inactive booths across the Harrogate district, 22 of which are the traditional red style.

Three are under scrutiny in Harrogate, including one outside Harrogate District Hospital on Lancaster Park Road. Seven across Nidderdale are under consideration, including one on Pateley Bridge high street and one in Birstwith, along with a further 11 in Ripon.

A spokesperson for BT told the Stray Ferret:

“Most people now have a mobile phone and calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90 per cent in the past decade. The need for payphones in emergencies is also reducing as 98 per cent of the UK has either 3G or 4G coverage.

“As long as there’s network coverage from at least one network, it’s possible to call 999, even when there’s no credit or coverage from your own mobile provider.”

In some locations, including Greenhow Hill, BT said average monthly use of the bright red kiosks has fallen to zero. But many are worried the removal of the red kiosks will leave some vulnerable and a huge part of British heritage will be lost.

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Ripon city councillor Pauline McHardy said:

“All the councillors in Ripon agreed they could remove the modern plastic phone boxes but not the old-fashioned red ones. Ripon is a historic city and and they are a historic landmark.

“People presume everyone has a mobile phone but they don’t and there could be a situation where someone has to use the red telephone box. I would not like them removed and I’m sure that all the other councillors on Ripon city council would agree.”

BT is encouraging communities to keep the red telephone kiosks under its “adopt-a-kiosk” scheme, which costs £1 and lets community organisations, including councils and charities, transform the kiosks into defibrillator sites, mini libraries and more.

The firm said it is giving communities the chance to comment on their proposal. If councils or other groups apply to keep the kiosks, they will remain. The consultation will end on October 7.