A woman campaigning for the famous red public phone boxes to be saved in rural areas has formally opposed the removal of two in the Princetown area.

Helen Jackson, of Princetown, has photographed phone boxes across Dartmoor for her recently published book. The book aims to capture the fast-disappearing landmarks for posterity and raise awareness of the essential public service they provide as the only alternative to mobile phones where reception is unreliable.

The boxes’ owner BT is consulting with the public through local councils on its widespread plans to remove the phone services in rural West Devon. The threatened boxes are underused in remote areas, making them uneconomic to maintain.

The latest boxes under threat are at Rundlestone and Merrivale and Helen has written to West Devon Borough Council lodging her objection to their removal. Many boxes across Dartmoor were previously granted a reprieve against removal back in 2017 because they provide emergency communications in areas with poor mobile connection. Now BT it looking at removing them.

Helen said: “I saw a notice posted on Rundlestone and Merrivale phone boxes stating that BT are planning to remove the services.

“In 2017 BT wanted to remove many Dartmoor phone boxes due to lack of use. The removal at the time was blocked on the grounds that the area is subject to poor mobile phone coverage and with many tourists, the phones were needed in case of emergency.

“However, the situation with mobile phone coverage has not improved significantly in the intervening years, therefore the original case for retaining the phone boxes should stand.

“While the mobile phone service checkers show service is available, in practice, particularly during bad weather, signal is adversely affected.

“This is precisely the time when a public payphone could save a life. I hope that these iconic landmarks can be retained in working order for many years to come.”