A rundown phone box in Preston has become a hotspot for drug dealing, illicit sex, and defecation, prompting residents to call on BT to remove it. Despite complaints from residents, Lancashire Police, and Preston City Council, BT maintains the phone box is still used for calls and refuses to remove it.
It is a blight on the community, a magnet for crime, and is being used for a lot more than its intended purpose.
But BT maintains that too many people continue to rely on the callbox for its intended purpose for it to be taken out of service. The firm’s refusal to scrap or even relocate the crime magnet – in spite of pleas from both Lancashire Police and Preston City Council – has prompted a local councillor to launch a petition in a final attempt to force the telecoms giant to act.Suleman Sarwar, in whose St.
Cllr Sarwar says the misuse of the phone box occurs during daylight hours, as well as after dark. One of the panels of the booth is covered by a full-length advert, while another is up against a hedge – meaning the view passers-by have of what is going on inside is obscured It is understood Preston City Council has taken the issue all the way to the top of BT, raising it with the firm’s chief executive. It has warned that the authority could use the enforcement powers it has to deal with antisocial behaviour. The council has also suggested relocating the phone box to nearby Deepdale Road, where it would be within sight of a CCTV camera. Lancashire Police have been approached for comment.
Drug Dealing Phone Box Crime Community Safety BT
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