THE saga of the disappearing North Tawton red phone box continues as it emerges it will cost the town council a hefty £1,750 to buy it back. 

It comes as a campaign is launched by residents and the town council for the red phone box’s return to the town’s focal point, the Square. 

It was removed by BT several weeks ago, after an apparent breakdown in communications between the town council and BT led to the box being moved against the town’s wishes.

Resident and campaigner Christian Martin, said: "Residents can't cast any blame on anybody. We just want the phone box back. We've asked the council to go back to BT and say: 'There's been a monumental error here. Can you see it in your wisdom to show some compassion on something that has been left for two-plus years, rectify it and bring back our box?' Failing that, the call is going out to the council to get BT to sell them a box back to replace it.

"Everything got lost as a consequence of Covid. So, it was BT's responsibility to follow up on the paperwork again. Plus, we've had a change of staff, and they couldn't possibly have been across everything that had happened during Covid."

A BT spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, once a payphone has been removed it cannot be adopted back into the community again but there may be the opportunity to purchase the kiosk from our suppliers who retain the removed kiosks. We'd urge any communities that would still like to retain their local red kiosk to take it on for £1 through our Adopt a Kiosk scheme."

A replacement red telephone box would cost the council at least £1,750 (excluding VAT) for an unrenovated model or at least £2,900 (excluding VAT) for a fully refurbished model. 

BT has been inviting communities to adopt redundant red phone boxes for £1 and press them into service for community use. 

The telecommunications company says the town council had shown interest in adopting the box in 2022 but failed to provide the required information. As a result, BT cancelled the adoption request.

BT says it contacted the town council twice in April and May 2022 giving final notice that the box would be removed but the council denies receiving any communication from BT since 2019.