BT confirm Nottingham 'drug phone' will be removed

A heavily-used payphone, thought to be involved in drug deals, is to be removed and not replaced.

The phone box in The Meadows area in Nottingham has been used for 3,000 calls a year, making it the busiest of the 479 remaining in Nottinghamshire.

People nearby said it had become known as the "the drug phone".

BT originally suggested the people using it were "tourists" and has now confirmed it will be taking away the phone box.

The Bridges Community Trust, which has urged BT to remove the phone, said its survey of 100 people found 73% wanted the phone, and the one next to it, to be taken out and not replaced with anything.

Chris Brummitt, from the trust, said: "People are fed up with the drug users, particularly the fact they leave used needles and other drug paraphernalia, behind them."

She said residents often saw a congregation of "young-ish men...looking unkept" around the phone and felt "frightened".

When BT were asked why the phone box in the 1970s shopping precinct was so popular, they suggested it could have been used by tourists - which residents called "mind-boggling".

One resident, who did not want to be named, said taking away the phone will only send the drugs issue elsewhere.

"Just taking the phone box away isn't going to stop it, they're doing it everywhere.

Another person added: "It's an inner-city area, you're going to have drug dealing no matter what.

"Getting rid of it, it'll only push it to another area for them to go."

BT is replacing older phone boxes with InLink units, which provide free wi-fi, phone calls and a charging point.

A spokesman said this was no longer the plan for The Meadows, adding: "BT is planning to remove this and a neighbouring kiosk from the Bridgeway Centre, they will not be replaced by InLink units or any other payphone service."

Nottinghamshire Police said it was aware of incidents "in the vicinity of a phone box" in The Meadows and is "taking steps to tackle them".

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.