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.

They have raised concerns with David Lepper, MP for Brighton Pavilion.

He 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.

Mohammed Asaduzzaman, who owns the nearby Goa Spice of Life restaurant, is one of those who wants the phone box removed.

He has endured years of misery from the drug dealers and users who frequent it.

People have tried to steal food, customers have had their wallets and bags stolen and on one occasion diners watched as an addict urinated on the restaurant window.

Mr Asaduzzaman, 44, said: "The problem has not gone away. Now there are not only drug dealers and junkies using the box but it is being filled up with prostitutes' cards as well.

"My customers do not feel safe with these people about. It is affecting my business life and my personal life.

"I have been racially abused and attacked as well.

"I don't know why they don't take any action because everyone knows this telephone box is a huge problem in the area."

Simon Burgess, ward councillor for the area, said: "I hope BT uses its review of telephone box coverage as an opportunity to disconnect this box and I am very much behind the community's efforts to get it closed down."

A spokesman for BT said complaints about the Richmond Parade phone box had stopped.

He said: "According to our records, there are no issues with this kiosk over the last 18 months, although we are aware there have been problems in the past.

"This is not a loss-making kiosk. It clearly gets a reasonable amount of usage and at the present time there are no plans to remove it.

"If people do have complaints, I would ask them to get in contact with us to make their feelings known.

"We will genuinely look at the circumstances with an open mind and see what we can do."

Anyone wanting to report problems with any phone box can call BT's payphone hotline on 0800 661 610.