Wednesday 20 May 2015

People queue to use this phone box - 'because it is a drug dealer hotline'

BT has refused to close down one of its most popular phone boxes - despite residents claims it is only so frequently-used because it is a ‘hotline to drug dealers’.

Residents even claim people involved in the drug trade ‘queue up’ to use the booth in Wrexham, North Wales.
Councillors have appealed to BT to remove it after complaints from residents,reports Wales Online.
But BT have said it will not get rid of the box – because it is so well used.
Councillor Keith Gregory told the Wrexham Leader: “It’s a hotline to every drug dealer in Wrexham.
"You see them there every day – all queuing up there to use it.
“They won’t use mobiles because that can be traced, but calls from phone boxes could be anyone.”
Coun Jayne Johnson also confirmed the phone box was a problem.
She said: “My mum lived opposite from there until November last year and you could see it happening all day.
“People were being dropped off or turning up on bikes and you could tell what they were there for.
"I’ve got relatives who live around there too and lots of other residents have said to me they are concerned about it.”
Coun Gregory called for the box to be taken away but PCSO Simon Griffiths told a community council meeting operators BT had other ideas.
“In the past BT have said point blank they won’t remove it because of the revenue it generates – whatever reason, it will not be moved,” he said.
A spokesperson for BT said: “We wouldn’t remove pay phones that are being used on a regular basis as this would be unfair on the genuine users.
“We can block incoming calls to a pay phone if the police think this will help tackle the problem.”
Ofcom said BT is obliged to provide a reasonable amount of phone boxes where they are most needed.



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