MORE than 70 rural telephone kiosks could be scrapped across West Dorset by BT.

The sweeping proposals emerged as Portesham residents battled to save their traditional green cast iron telephone box which is under threat for the second time in two years.

The village fought and won a battle in 2006 to keep its kiosk which residents said was vital to their lives because mobile phone signals in Portesham are very poor or non-existent.

Now telephone giant BT has put up a notice in the kiosk on the edge of the village green warning residents that it is considering scrapping the kiosk and that any representations to keep it should be made to West Dorset District Council.

But the council revealed that Portesham was just one of 13 phones at risk in conservation areas with nearly 60 more under threat across the district.

David Collins, of New Road, Portesham, was among protestors who won a 2006 fight to save their kiosk and he is also opposing the latest closure proposal.

He said: "BT surveyed it for painting and have now decided to remove the kiosk.

"Nothing has changed in the last two years. We still have very poor or no mobile signal in the village, so in the event of an emergency the public do not have instant access to make the call.

"Portesham really needs its public phone kiosk and we would urge as many people as possible to contact the council in support of keeping it."

A spokesman for West Dorset District Council said that BT was consulting on the future of more than 70 pay phones in West Dorset.

He added: "We are concerned about BT's proposed removal of the Portesham pay phone and 12 others in West Dorset conservation areas. These include ones at Godmanstone, Bradford Peverell, Osmington, West Knighton, Walditch, Bothenhampton, Litton Cheney, Long Bredy, Powerstock, Uploders and Frome St Quintin.

"They contribute to the character and appearance of the local area and we have informed BT that we wish to discuss our concerns with them about the 13 phones in conservation areas.

"We are also collating the responses made by residents to these proposals, the closing date for public comment being July 2."

District council conservation team leader Kim Winter said: "We are concerned about the potential removal of traditional K6' red pay phones, particularly those in conservation areas.

"These form a familiar and much loved part of the street scene in many villages and have been identified as being of local importance because of their attractiveness, historic interest and group value with other buildings and features close by."

But BT spokesman Jason Mann said it was not definite that Portesham would lose its kiosk despite records showing it was used for less than 50 calls during the year.

He added: "The village kiosk is very little used. That is why we have proposed to remove it, but it is a proposal not a definite plan.

"Any kiosk we propose to remove which doesn't have another within 400 metres involves us writing to the local authority to tell them what we are doing. If there is clear social need demonstrated then that kiosk would not be removed.

"It is up to residents to make their case to West Dorset District Council, who will then come back to us."

He added that such widespread removals were being considered because national public phone use had halved in the last two years because of increased mobile phone use.