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Cut-off village fears emergency after phone box damaged
11 Sep
Summary
- A village with no mobile signal suffered vandalism to its only phone.
- The damaged phone box is crucial for emergency calls in Milldale.
- Repairs are planned, but residents worry about winter safety.
Milldale, a village situated on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border, faces critical communication issues following the vandalism of its sole public telephone box. This incident has raised significant concerns among residents about emergency response capabilities, especially given the village's complete lack of mobile phone signal due to hilly terrain. The phone box serves as an essential lifeline for both locals and the numerous walkers who visit the area, particularly during the summer months.
Local resident Becky Garner described the damage, stating the receiver was "smashed to smithereens." She emphasized the phone's importance, noting that during winter, when many properties are vacant holiday lets, the village becomes very quiet. The lack of signal means that in a genuine emergency, contacting help would be impossible once the seasonal cafe closes at the end of October. BT has committed to sending an engineer to repair the damage urgently. The company has also requested that anyone with information about the vandalism report it to the police.
