Parishes in Suffolk have taken ownership of 15 red phone boxes under BT's ever-growing payphone adoption scheme.

SUFFOLK: Parishes in Suffolk have taken ownership of 15 red phone boxes under BT's ever-growing payphone adoption scheme.

The Adopt a Kiosk programme is now running a competition to find the most innovative uses of the iconic booths.

Parish councils have until the end of the month to enter, with a top prize of �5,000 and regional pay outs of �1,000 up for grabs.

The telecoms giant is also inviting local authorities to consult with their communities about taking on more phone boxes as it is estimated there are more than 1,000 in the region that are used rarely or not at all.

For only �1, BT will remove the telephony and hand over ownership of the kiosk to the local authority.

John Lumb, general manager for BT Payphones, said: “We are already seeing some kiosks being put to very interesting uses. For example, one kiosk has been turned into an art gallery and we have one being used as a tourist information point for hikers passing through the village.”

Among the 15 adopted booths in Suffolk are ones in Lower Street, Great Bealings; Hoxne Road, Denham, near Eye; and High Road, Swilland, near Ipswich.

There are more than 12,500 red telephone boxes nationwide. Their first incarnation was designed by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in 1924. Ten years later Scott refined his design and the famous K6 or Jubilee Kiosk was introduced nationwide to celebrate George V's Silver Jubilee.

Details and an application form for the Adopt a Kiosk scheme are available on the BT Payphones website at www.payphones.bt.com. Parish councils can enter the national competition by e-mailing adoptakiosk@bt.com.

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