COMMUNITIES are fighting back against the potential removal of rural payphone kiosks, which in many cases are vital due to poor mobile reception.

In the North York Moors National Park, some 23 of the heritage-style kiosks are set to be saved from decommission by BT out of a total of 63 which have been earmarked for removal.

And in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, BT gave notice to close 40 of the phone boxes, as well as a further 24 across Richmondshire, but Richmondshire District Council will oppose the closure of 21.

Parish councils have argued that many kiosks, which date back some 80 years, were not only an attractive heritage feature in their village, but also served areas where mobile phone coverage was either poor or non-existent.

Those now lined up for retention in the North York Moors include Egton Bridge, Grosmont, Westerdale and Commondale.

Councillors have said many people rely on the kiosks, especially tourists visiting the national park, when experiencing poor mobile phone reception.

Richmondshire District Council will discuss the proposals to close payphones in its district at its full council meeting on Tuesday.

Planning officer Peter Featherstone said: “The consultation process for those boxes within the national park was not properly undertaken at the outset and so BT are re-publicising this part of their proposal, but the intention remains the same.

Upper Dales councillor John Blackie has argued that the payphones were a lifeline in areas or poor or non-existent mobile phone coverage.

He said: “One of the payphones, in Widdale, is deeply rural and has no mobile coverage, but in the last five years it has been the scene of several motorcycle accidents.” A spokesman for BT said: “Overall use of payphones has declined by over 90 per cent in the last decade and the need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is diminishing all the time, with at least 98 per cent of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage.”