Councillors Call for Removal of Hanwell Phone Box
Want BT to act saying it is being used by people taking drugs
Person taking drugs in a BT phone box on Boston Road in Hanwell
July 4, 2023
Politicians in Hanwell have banded together to get rid of a phone box after multiple complaints that it is used for drug-taking, however residents claim the council has been slow to act. The local ward councillors have put together a plan to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area with one of the key points being to push BT to remove the box after residents expressed frustration that nothing has been done to curb issues.
Video of the booth located on Boston Road shows people taking drugs in broad daylight occasionally putting up pieces of paper to obscure their activities and sometimes in full view of passersby. In a letter signed by Cllr Polly Knewstub, Cllr Yoel Gordon and Cllr Monica Hamidi, the trio laid out the measures they were pushing for to improve the Hanwell Broadway area.
In the letter they wrote, “We understand the distress that anti-social behaviour causes, and we want everyone to feel safe in Hanwell. There are no quick fixes to the issues of street drinking, homelessness and addiction. It is only by getting people the support they need (as well as deploying the penalties available to the police) that we will truly make a difference for all our residents.”
Part of the council’s response in the area has already included patrols by neighbourhood policemen and attempts to evict and arrest known drug dealers. According to the council, these operations are “being jointly led by the council’s safer communities team and Police and focus on the issues driving anti-social behaviour – engaging with residents in the area to understand their concerns and with those who are causing concern.”
One of the specific issues named in the councillors’ letter is that of the phone box. Over months, residents have captured images of it being used for drug-taking with many taking to social media to express their anger that the issue hasn’t been tackled earlier.
For many, it is the most brazen example of the wider issues to do with drugs in the area. The council says that MP Virendra Sharma has sent a request to BT to have the phone box torn down, although it is unclear what the response from the company has been.
A BT spokesperson said, “At present we do not plan to remove this phone box. We would urge anyone who witnesses criminal activity to report it to the police. And while crime and anti-social behaviour are police matters, we remain committed to working closely with the authorities and local communities to help where we can.”
Commenting on the council’s wider strategy in the area a spokesperson said, “Local councillors and the council are aware of concerns regarding persistent ASB in and around Hanwell Broadway, and the distress that this is causing some residents. We want everyone to feel safe in Hanwell, and the council has invested significant time and resources in acting on the issues residents have raised.
“The council’s community safety team has been and will continue to work with homelessness charity St Mungo’s and the police to both support vulnerable people and tackle criminal behaviour.”
Rory Bennett - Local Democracy Reporter