MOBBERLEY Parish Council has grand designs for the disused telephone boxes which are dotted throughout the village.

With a lick of paint and the addition of new shelves, the council have transformed one of the derelict booths into a book exchange service.

The phone box, located outside the Rajar building on Town Lane, is one of three boxes to be taken over by the council.

They are also now in the final stages of securing the telephone box outside Victory Hall and the box in Knowles Green at the edge of the village.

Once in use by British Telecom, the phone boxes have been abandoned due to lack of use, and the council have found an innovative way to keep the iconic landmarks alive.

People can now go into the booth and exchange their pre-loved books for ones that they have not read before.

Andrew Allen, Parish Ranger, of Town Lane, said: “The phone boxes are iconic and it would be a shame to see them go, so this seems like a great solution.

“I think it will be really great for the local community and I am excited to see how it takes off.”

The council are now encouraging people to get involved with the scheme by gathering their disused books and donating them to the phone booth on Town Lane.

Sarah Sherwood, Parish Clerk, said: “We are looking for new ideas for the other booth which we are in the final stages of adopting.

“We just didn’t want to see them go. They are a part of our village.”