A consultation on whether to axe public phone boxes has come to an end.
BT hopes to scrap 25 public phones across Perth and Kinross.
Among the list of phone boxes facing the chop are three in Perth, one in Crieff, two in Blairgowrie, two in Dunkeld and several rural boxes.
Last night MSP Liz Smith urged the firm to think carefully as the boxes can be a lifeline to rural communities.
The politician, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, is hoping as many residents as possible took part in the consultation on the proposed removal of iconic red telephone boxes in Perth and Kinross and Fife.
The consultation ended on Sunday.
She said: “I’d like to let the public know that l was in touch with both BT and local authority personnel in both Perth and Kinross and Fife, encouraging them to make the case to protect the essential boxes.
“Many of the telephone boxes that are proposed to be removed are located in rural communities where connectivity is already weak.
“Rural communities have already been hit hard by the removal of other local services. I believe red telephone boxes are essential and this is why I had called on residents to speak out in order to have their telephone box retained.”
However BT said the under-threat boxes had suffered a drop in use as mobile phones became more common.
A spokesman said: “Most people now have a mobile phone and calls made from our public telephones have fallen by around 90%in the past decade. We consider a number of factors before consulting on the removal of payphones, including whether others are available nearby and usage.
“The need to provide payphones for use in emergency situations is also diminishing all the time, with at least 98% of the UK having either 3G or 4G coverage.
“This is important because as long as there is network coverage, it’s now possible to call the emergency services, even when there is no credit or no coverage from your own mobile provider.”
The company is hoping community groups will take ownership of the boxes for alternative uses and is offering to sell them for as little as £1.
