So, the powers that be at British Telecom have an inane desire to remove over 70 rural telephone kiosks from across West Dorset.

Some of these are in conservation areas; some such as the wonderful green phone kiosk in Portesham are well known across the county, and all are an important part of our heritage.

They are part of the village scene, as much a characteristic of village life as the village green, the thatched cottage and Sunday afternoon cricket.

They are as much a feature of delightful places like Osmington as the village church or the local duckpond.

Maybe we should also consider that not every person has a mobile phone.

If we do, the signal is not always good in some rural areas, and you can guarantee that if a real emergency occurs, the mobile will be hiding in some dark corner only to emerge when the crisis is past.

I am sure that many 999 calls are still made from a phone kiosk. Surely if this results in just one life being saved then that is reason enough to keep them.

They who must be obeyed seem hell bent on tearing the heart out of our villages.

Pubs, post offices, village schools all have to be fought for, increasingly in vain.

And where will this desecration of our much-loved and ever to be cherished rural communities end?

I know - lets remove all the people. Problem solved!

Anita Harries, Brookhouse Street, Dorchester.