Wrexham,North Wales - Phone boxes in Caia Park are only used by drug dealers'

Published date: 14 November 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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COMMUNITY leaders are pleading with BT to remove phone boxes that it is claimed are being used as hotlines for drug deals.

At this month’s Caia Park Community Council meeting, members reminded police that open drug dealing was their ‘number one’ concern.

Queensway councillor Colin Powell said: “If we don’t sort the drugs stuff out, we can’t stamp out the other crime.”

Members brought up the issue of public phone boxes being used for drug deals, with one in the Gwenfro area causing concern.

Smithfield Cllr Jayne Johnson said an attempt to have one taken out of her ward, on Wavell Avenue, failed last year as BT told her it was one of their biggest profit-making phone boxes.

Council chairman Whitegate councillor Marc Jones said: “Is it a case of needing to name and shame them? They are facilitating illegal behaviour.”

Queensway councillor Carrie Harper added: “Who uses phone boxes these days – apart from drug dealers?”

Smithfield councillor Keith Gregory said residents were “sick of seeing it” and “fed up” with the situation.

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Cartrefle councillor Bryan Pritchard told of hearing that a headteacher had banned a parent after spotting them dealing while picking their children up from one of the estate’s primary schools.

PCSO Rob Parry, of North Wales Police, said residents were reluctant to come forward with information.

He reminded the community that any information would be kept in strict confidence.

PCSO Parry said: “We need to get the message out there that it is completely confidential, and nothing will ever happen to those who give information. Officers aren’t told where the intelligence has come from.”

The police were praised by members for reductions in anti-social behaviour and burglary on the estate.

Councillors agreed Halloween and Bonfire night events were also a great success, with extra funding made available for PCSO’s to help organise, in keeping youngsters occupied and preventing crime.

A spokesman for BT said the company is reviewing their payphone provision and can remove them if not needed.

He said: “BT is committed to providing a public payphone service but with usage falling by over 90 per cent in the last decade, we’ve continued to review and remove payphones which are no longer needed.

“Any removal of a payphone is carried out in strict adherence to the Ofcom guidelines and, where appropriate, with the consent of local authorities.”

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