A phone box dubbed the "dial-a-fix kiosk" because its main customers are drug dealers and addicts is to escape a cull.

BT is scrapping thousands of loss-making telephone boxes across Britain because the rise of mobile phones has made many of them obsolete.

But the company has admitted there are no plans to remove the box in Richmond Parade, Brighton, which was exposed in The Argus as a hotline for addicts desperate to get their next fix.

Police sealed off the box after the story ran in September 2002.

However, BT insisted it was reopened because it was one of the few boxes in the city which made money.

The company now plans to disconnect 33 kiosks out of 400 in Brighton and Hove.

People living close to Richmond Parade are angry the controversial box will not be included in the cull and have raised concerns with local MP David Lepper.

The MP for Brighton Pavilion said: "Residents, with my support, have consistently been calling for the closure of the phone box, although as a general principle I'm against phone box closures.

"Closing this box will actually be beneficial to the community. BT says it still serves a useful purpose. It does - but only for drug dealers."

Mr Lepper has written to BT expressing his concerns but has not yet received a reply.

Friday May 28, 2004