VILLAGERS have voiced their concern at proposals by telecoms giant BT to remove their only telephone kiosk.

People living in Salterforth, near Barnoldswick, regularly use the call box, as mobile phone links in the area are patchy.

But British Telecom has earmarked the kiosk for the axe, as part of proposals to cut the number of 'under-used' call boxes in Pendle by eight.

Parish council chairman Jeffrey Haydock says that Salterforth is the tourist capital of Pendle' because of its proximity to the canal network.

And visitors are not the only ones who regularly find the Park View Terrace phone useful.

Coun Haydock said: "Salterforth is the tourist centre of Pendle and there are various attractions, most famously the canals.

"People visiting the canals and they find that their mobile phones just don't work.

"You can get some kind of signal with Virgin but Vodafone and Orange and the rest are poor so people use the call box.

"There are also a lot of accidents at the main junction in Salterforth so it is important that people can make a call.

"People using the park also use the kiosk, as they cannot get any reception on their mobiles. And we see lorry drivers stopping off to use it for the same reason."

The parish council has formally objected to shutting the kiosk, as part of a consulation being undertaken by Pendle borough council, on the potential closures.

It is estimated that the nearest alterative to the box is nearly one-and-a-half kilometres away in Earby.

Closures at certain other locations look set to go ahead unopposed, according to reports filed with Pendle's area committees, which meet this week.

No objections are recommended for two in Barrowford, on Gisburn Road and Higher Causeway, and a third on Carr Road in Nelson, the latter being located near to alternative facilities.

However plans to close one of the call boxes, at Crowtrees in Roughlee, are being contested.

The next nearest kiosk is more than 850 metres away and it is felt that the removal of the Crowtrees box would hamper the rural community.

Further consulations are taking place on two public phones in Foulridge, on Skipton Road and Whitemoor Road, and another in Briercliffe Street, Colne.