For decades the high street phone box has given so much: residents made quick calls on the move, Superman benefitted from a makeshift changing room, and Colin Farrell was locked away for hours in the movie Phone Booth.

But now Lambeth Council's deputy leader, Councillor Jackie Meldrum, has written to BT urging the company to speed up the removal of obsolete phone boxes, thanks to the prevalance of mobile phones.

Coun Meldrum said: “Local businesses regularly say how they are struck by the number of unsightly public phone boxes in our town centres.

"Their decrepit state reflects badly not only on the local area but also on BT, which is responsible for their upkeep so I’ve written to BT to get an update on the programme of removal.”

Coun Meldrum, who is also the cabinet member for business and enterprise, suggested “the new dual-purpose ATM/phone boxes seem a neat solution.”