AN INNOVATIVE idea to reuse a redundant red telephone box is being tried out in Latchley.

Cllr Jerome Irons said a villager had mentioned to him the idea of converting a telephone box into a library, after reading about how another parish elsewhere in the country had done it.

Latchley's two red telephone boxes were adopted by the council for £1 each after they were included on BT's hitlist for removal because of a lack of use.

Councillors were given the option of taking them over and keeping them as a heritage feature but without the telephones. It is part of BT's rationalisation of public telephone services up and down the country.

'Lots of people have paperbacks which they have read once and have no more use for, and I suggest we put some shelves in there and put books on them,' said Cllr Irons.

The councillor said he knew someone who would put some shelves up at no cost to the council.

'The only worry I have is that it might get damp but if we don't try it we will never know.'

Cllr John Roberts said that if the books were marked with a date of when they were put in, the council could make sure there was a reasonable turnover. Someone would also have to check the content of what was put in there, members said.

Mr Robert added that he would be asking residents of Harrowbarrow and Metherell what they would like to see happen to the telephone box there when the equipment was taken out. He would then bring suggestions back to the council.