A TELEPHONE kiosk, which is allegedly used to set up drug deals and acts as a base for selling stolen goods, is to be removed by BT.

Taxi drivers who use the St Saviourgate rank close to where the two public telephones are situated, say they have overheard drug deals being organised and are also approached by people attempting to sell, what they believe to be, stolen goods.

A spokesman for BT has confirmed that one of the phones is scheduled for removal but denied that the reason was antisocial behaviour.

However, one driver, who declined to be named, said: “People use it for drug dealing because they don’t want to use a mobile phone. We have heard the conversations. It’s also an area where they try to sell stolen goods to taxi drivers because they know they have cash on them.

“A lot of older people tell us they won’t go there because they feel intimidated during the day,” he said.

A spokeswoman for BT said the phone was to be removed as part of an ongoing process. She said: “There is not enough use to warrant two phones in the same place. But even if there was antisocial behaviour, we wouldn’t remove a phone – that’s just moving the problem on.

“If we get reports of that kind of thing we would report it to the police. I can confirm we are planning to remove one of the two kiosks at this location, as part of our ongoing review and rationalisation programme.”

She said under the terms of the Ofcom-approved process, no permission was needed to remove the kiosk as there was another one within 400 metres.