BRITISH Telecom's scheme to slash the number of payphones on the streets of Worcester has won residents' backing because of continuing vandalism.

The city council was informed by BT that 28 phones would be removed because of a drop in use of more than a third.

Rick Thompson, project liaison manager for BT, said unprofitable phone boxes were not being removed from remote communities but they were being "thinned out" in areas with too many boxes.

City councillor Ian Imray wrote back to BT asking it to reconsider with particular reference to three boxes on Cranham Drive in Warndon.

He argued the phones may not be profitable but they were important for emergencies and for people who did not have mobiles.

Targets for vandals

But residents have disagreed saying the boxes are targets for vandals.

"I understand the need for the phones for 999 calls, but they are vandalised so often they are out of commission most of the time," said one resident in the Cranham Drive area in his 50s who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.

"The vandalism is phenomenal. They kick at the phone box to get at the money.

"I have a mobile phone and a landline so I wouldn't really use the pay phones."

On the opposite side of the city some residents on Windsor Avenue in St John's are also pleased to see the back of the phone boxes because of vandalism.

"The damage to the phones makes the area look rough," said 42-year-old Ian Wilkes.

"I have spoken to some other residents here and on Laugherne Road and they are glad to see them go.

"In an ideal world there should be phones for the convenience of everybody, but at the moment they are being abused."

Malvern Road resident Sue Timmins, aged 40, said she had not given any thought to the fact that the phone box on corner of her road and Bransford Road had been targeted by BT because she had never used it.

However, across the city in Prestwich Avenue, 67-year-old Audrey Powell said she did not think the phone on the corner of her road should be removed.

"I do not use it, but I think it would be a bad step to remove it," said Mrs Powell. "It is used quite frequently."