Two Weymouth and Portland telephone boxes are likely to be withdrawn by BT because they are rarely used.

The company has started a consultation which will end just before Christmas, into the boxes at the junction of Abbotsbury Road and Dennis Road in Weymouth and next to 63 Harbour View Road, Portland.

BT say the Weymouth box has only been used twice and the Portland box only 10 times during the year.

The scheme allows for the boxes to be bought for community use for a nominal £1. Across the country many have been put to use for book swops, a place to display community notices, to house defibrillators or to be decorated with plants.

Around 70 boxes are at risk in neighbouring West Dorset, including those at Glennie Way, Lynch Lane and East Street, Chickerell as well as at the entrance to Littlesea Camp and in Putton Lane.

Chickerell.

The company says that overall the use of payphones has declined by 90 per cent over the last ten years and 98 per cent of the area has good mobile phone coverage.

Dorchester town councillors this week voted to oppose the closure of two boxes in the county town – at Maud Road and Fordington Cross.