THE future of Stoke-on-Trent's last two red phone boxes could be secured – without their telephones.

The city council has applied to BT to adopt the only remaining boxes within its borders.

And if BT removes the phones – as seems likely – the council will preserve the kiosks as monuments to their iconic design.

In June, BT announced plans to axe 101 phone boxes in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire on the grounds that some were being used less than twice a month.

The telecommunications company said that 60 per cent of the UK's 61,792 phone boxes were loss-making and that calls had dropped by half in the last three years.

Among those pegged to go was the traditional red box in Bemersley Road, Ball Green, which had already been targeted by BT 18 months previously. If it had been lost, it would have meant that Stoke-on-Trent had only one of the red kiosks left – in Jack Haye Lane, Light Oaks.

A campaign was launched, with councillor Peter Kent-Bagguley keen to ensure that the boxes were preserved for future generations.

He said: "It is one of the most iconic designs that has ever been produced and there were getting on for 100,000 of them at one time.

"They are worth saving because, from a design point of view, they have become so important as part of the environment, whether it be rural or urban."

The K2 phone kiosk was first designed in 1924 but it was the K6, or Jubilee kiosk, launched in 1936 to mark George V's 25th year on the throne which became a global icon.

Thirty years later there were almost 70,000 such boxes around the country and they had become an easily recognisable symbol of life in Britain.

But as trends changed – notably with the introduction of mobile phones – they began to be phased out.

BT's Adopt-a-Kiosk scheme allows local authorities to take ownership of the box, minus the phone, for £1 to ensure it remains in place for the appreciation of future generations.

The adoption of the Ball Green box is currently being processed and the city council has also expressed interest in the Light Oaks kiosk in case it comes under threat in the future.

Councillor Hazel Lyth, portfolio holder for culture and enterprise on the city council, said:"These phone boxes are an iconic design and it is important we try to preserve them.

"They are an significant part of the city's heritage and we are now hoping to hear if we can adopt them."

Sentinel columnist and local historian Fred Hughes said he would gladly chain himself to one of the distinctive kiosks rather than see it demolished or removed.

He said: "These boxes are distinct and visible locally. Structurally they can always be a safe asset. Why remove something that is part of our heritage and which serves as a wonderful link to the past?"