MORE than 200 telephone boxes in Suffolk have been earmarked for closure as communication bosses look to trim the purse strings and cut costs.The move has led to fears that a number of iconic red telephone boxes could be on the list - along with many more that serve some of the county's smallest communities.

MORE than 200 telephone boxes in Suffolk have been earmarked for closure as communication bosses look to trim the purse strings and cut costs.

The move has led to fears that a number of iconic red telephone boxes could be on the list - along with many more that serve some of the county's smallest communities.

BT is currently in consultation with district and borough councils throughout the region and has told them which kiosks have been earmarked for the axe.

The telecommunications company are looking at closing 234 of the 862 phone boxes in Suffolk because they say the number of calls made from payphones has halved in the last three years.

A spokesman for BT said the review would not necessarily lead to the removal of red kiosks because many were listed so could not be demolished.

He said BT is committed to providing a public payphone service, however over the years it has been necessary to cut down to meet demand.

He said: “Almost 60 per cent of our payphones are unprofitable, with almost 6,000 phones making less than one call a month. Payphone usage has halved in the last two years and calls are still declining at 20pc year on year.

Last month Babergh District Council launched a campaign to get communities involved in a fight to save the threatened boxes.