Telecoms firm calls time on library in a phone box
BBCA community library housed in a village phone box is having to close because the telephone is still in use.
Volunteers set up the book swap scheme in Skidby, East Yorkshire, during the Covid lockdown in 2020.
But telecoms company KCOM has placed a sign in the box asking people not to put books on the shelves as it "poses a serious fire risk".
Villager Kerry Almond said the library would be "missed" because it was a "nice way to get rid of books you've read and feel like you're putting a bit into the community".
"It's just something to do for people. They can come out the house and have a walk down, choose a book and just get out into the fresh air," she added.
The organisers said they would remove the books and were hoping to find a new home for them with the help of the parish council.
KCOM said that because the phone box was active "we are regulatory obliged by Ofcom to make sure it is in working order in case anyone needs to make a call, including in 999 emergencies".
The Hull-based firm is famed for its distinctive cream, rather than red, phone boxes. For decades, it was the only locally owned network to maintain its independence from the national operator that became BT.
A spokesperson for KCOM added: "We are keen to work with the local community to see if there are other solutions to creating a book space."
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