PLANS by BT to axe four "unprofitable" phone kiosks from villages around Thornbury have come under fire.

The phones boxes in Aust, Hill, Rockhampton and Shepperdine are among 28 loss-making payphones throughout South Gloucestershire earmarked removal by the cost conscious phone giant.

The company says the increased use of mobile phones has forced it to review the future of its 75,000 phone boxes across the country. It claims only 29,000 of them actually make a profit.

Out of its current 206 payphones throughout South Gloucestershire, BT plans to retain 178 - and it claims 25 of those are loss makers.

Severn ward councillor Matthew Riddle attacked the closure plans in the four villages.

"Some of these boxes may be unprofitable but there are much bigger issues at stake," he said. "For many of these villages this is their only phone box and it has an important social role to play. What are people to do if they do not have access to another phone and need to make a call?

"Many of these villages are quite isolated and there's a real chance of people breaking down and needing to call for assistance. Even more seriously, there is the chance of someone needing a phone box for an emergency call."

He said many of the Parish Councils involved would be objecting to the closure plans and he would be supporting them.

"As well as providing an important service, phone boxes have also become an important part of the heritage and landscape of our villages," said Cllr Riddle. "It would be very unfortunate to lose this."

BT director of payphones Paul Hendron said: "We recognise that people have concerns about our plans to reduce the number of payphones.

"But I would like to reassure then that we are still committed to the service , particularly for those communities that really need us."

He said the changes would be managed sensitively through consultation with local representatives."

South Gloucestershire has been given 42 days to respond to the planned closures.

Said Cllr Riddle: "I hope that by pointing out some of the arguments in favour of keeping the boxes we will, in partnership with Parish Councils, be able to protect as many of them as possible."