Collection box stolen from Portland's community phone box
Owners of the phone box near the Grove say they’re heartbroken
A collection box placed inside a community phonebox on Portland has been stolen.
It’s thought to only have contained around £5 but owners of the box say it’s still an abuse of their trust.
The Grove community phone box was bought by Terry Shakespeare for just £1 in 2018 under a BT scheme that allowed members of the community to save disused booths.
It’s now used as a place to swap old books and people have even started sharing seeds in the box.
Through the lockdown more and more people have used the booth which accepts voluntary donations for it’s upkeep. At one point during the first lockdown, owners collected £27 from the tin.
But, Terry Shakespeare, custodian of the booth, says their trust has been breached.
“It’s not about the money at all, we had trust in people, it’s broken our trust so now it’s going to be put on a chain.
“It couldn’t have been very much money at all because I do empty on a regular occasion.”
But Terry says she understands it was only a matter of time before someone had a go at the collection.
“To be honest, I can’t believe that it’s lasted so long. It’s been in there 3 years, so I think it’s had a good run.”
Terry says buying the box in 2018 was a way of clearing it up:
“We were just talking at quiz night one night and thought it would be a good idea if we did something with it because it was derelict.”
"Lots of people and businesses were involved in the project to clean it up. The sign was done by a man in Easton, the plastic windows were made at the workshop at the YOI and then Men’s Shed contributed a flower pot."
Terry says it’s been a real hit:
“Holiday makers and everybody use it as they’re walking past. We see them taking books out and the children’s books and the men’s books are very popular.”