CAMPAIGN groups are fighting to save two of the town's phone boxes as their future comes into doubt.

A BT consultation on the removal of some of Reading's remaining phone boxes concludes on January 31, with 16 likely destined for the scrapheap.

Through a community based initative, two of the iconic communication kiosks on Courtenay Drive in Emmer Green and Albert Road in Caversham could be saved.

The Campaign to Retain Payphones (CARP) has joined forces with Emmer Green Residents Association (EGRA) to adopt the boxes.

However, their plans have hit a snag as BT only allows adoption by local authorities or registered charities, and none of the Reading charities approached are willing to take on the responsibility.

In a bid to beat the January 31 deadline, CARP and EGRA are attempting to register the booths as community assets, giving them time to win charitable status.

Rex Hora, CARP Chairman and Earley Court Gardens resident, said: "I don't think a phone box has ever been registered as an 'Asset of Community Value' before, so we are breaking new ground here.

"Many people find phone boxes boring but, in the words of Joni Mitchell's song Big Yellow Taxi: 'You don't know what you've got till it's gone'.

"If we don't save some of these phone boxes now, we might wish we had in 50 years time."

Across the country 3,500 communities have taken on phone boxes.

Upon adoption however, the phones have to be removed, with many turned into mini-libraries or defibrillator stores, or are kept for pure aesthetic, heritage value.

Mr Hora's broader campaign is to bring all phone boxes into public ownership.

"What I am campaigning for is for phone boxes to be taken away from BT because I think local community groups could run them better than they have in the past," he said.

A BT spokesperson said: “BT is carrying out an ongoing review of payphones which we believe are no longer needed.

"We have written to the Reading East Borough Constituency and the Reading West County Constituency proposing the removal of 16 payphones in Reading.

"None of these payphones will be removed without the consent of the local authority."