PLANS by BT to remove a payphone from an Evesham estate could face opposition from local residents and the town council.

Councillors this week voted to canvass local people over the BT plan to scrap the box or turn it into a phonecard-only kiosk.

BT had identified the payphone in Victoria Avenue, Evesham as one with low usage but have acknowledged that the community may still need it.

The company proposed the phone does not accept cash payments but is converted to a phonecard system.

In a letter to the town council Rick Thompson, Project liaison officer for BT payphones said: "BT has an obligation to provide access to public payphones to meet the needs of consumers.

"But it is a sad fact that consumers are choosing other methods of communication over payphones and as a result use of public street payphones continues to decline."

Members of the council at a meeting held on Monday said it was important to keep a payphone in the town for those who do not own mobile phones.

Evesham town councillor Paul Rencher said: "Why should we have to accept a phone box that will only accept a phone card? We have a multi-media company here who just can't be bothered to come out and collect the cash."

Councillor Simon Widdus said although many the amount of people owning mobile phones may have increased it was still vital to have a payphone especially for the elderly.

"It's important to keep it as a payphone as the whole community relies upon the facilities more and in emergencies. I think it's important to have a cash phone box rather than a card one."

Evesham town clerk Frank Green said although many people have mobile phones it was still necessary for anyone wanting to make emergency calls to be able to do so.

Councillor John Smith said: "I think we should try and leave the phone box as it is and only as a last resort should we have a card phone."

The town council decided that they would canvass residents who lived near Victoria Avenue for their opinions about the phone box before making a decision.