NewsWestminster

Councillor finds poo in phone boxes left in ‘disgusting disrepair’

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor has visited a number of iconic BT phone boxes in Soho to rate how disgusting they are – and what he found was shocking.

Westminster City councillor Patrick Lilley said the popular red huts were in “disgusting disrepair” and is on a crusade to see them restored.

During a walkabout the councillor came across phone boxes filled with poo, sex paraphernalia, cigarette butts and empty bottles of beer and wine.

Westminster City councillor Patrick Lilley came across human faeces in a BT phone box on Great Windmill Street, Soho (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)

He said the payphones, which he claims are adored by tourists, are also a lifeline for people who’ve had their belongings stolen and need to be repaired.

He said: “People do need them. People need to use the phone in emergencies. After all, how are you going to call the police if your phone has been stolen?”

BT has said its maintenance teams regularly monitor and maintain a number of payphones in Soho and was meeting with Westminster City officials this week.

They said they are committed to working with police and local authorities to tackle criminal use of its payphone and urges anyone who witnesses such activity to call police.

According to cllr Lilley, these icons of a bygone area are being turned into hubs for anti-social behaviour with rough sleepers using them as their own personal toilet or sleeping in them. He claimed they had also become a haven for drug users and dealers.

He also claimed they had become cash-cow for thieves, are known to paint the glass panes and steal coins from the machines inside.

Westminster City councillor Patrick Lilley rating the BT phone box on Wardour Street, Soho (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)

On Great Windmill Street, the councillor found a phone box that had human faeces smeared on what looked like kitchen roll left on the floor.

There were cigarette butts and an “almighty smell” of faeces. The others were filled with graffiti or had half-eaten bits of food and empty beer cans inside.

Cllr Lilley questioned BT’s cleaning routine for the boxes and at one stage believes the telecoms giant had a “default” policy of waiting for customers to complain before carrying out repairs.

He said: “They only clean them in response to our engagement to clean them. Their default is not to clean them until someone tells them about it.”

He has met with the Met, representatives of the Soho Society and BT to get the job done while the council has requested BT remove four of its boxes in Soho.

A BT spokesman said the company constantly reviews its payphones and removes any that are not being used, in line with Ofcom’s latest guidance.

He said: “We encourage people to report damage they see to our payphones or those in need of a clean.

“We’re grateful to the councillor for bringing this to our attention. Our maintenance teams have already checked and carried out work on a number of the payphones in question and a meeting has been arranged between BT and council officials later this week to discuss these matters further.

“We would urge anyone who witnesses criminal activity to report it to the police. And while crime and anti-social behaviour are police matters, we remain committed to working closely with the authorities and local communities to help where we can.”

Pictured top: Westminster City councillor Patrick Lilley rating the BT phone box on Wardour Street, Soho (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.