LOCAL MP David Maclean has written to the Head of Public and Parliamentary Affairs at BT in reaction to the news he received that they are planning to remove 255 public payphones in Cumbria.

In his letter to Mr O'Sullivan, Mr Maclean wrote: "I am grateful that you have warned me of your proposals because I am deeply concerned about these plans. I note that you have had extensive consultations and I am writing to you to set out your criteria for the removal of some telephones.

"For my own part I acknowledge the huge impact that mobile telephones have made and that some adjustment to the public telephone network is now desirable. In towns or major villages where there maybe multiple telephones grouped together, I can accept that the removal of some of them is desirable. I note that you plan to retain 147 loss making payphones and I must stress that, in rural areas, the one and only public telephone is absolutely essential even though it may be rarely used. I suspect the one and only telephone at the top of Shap does not make a profit but there is no other telephone box for miles around and it could be a life-saver in an emergency. I would therefore be very grateful for a list of the 255 telephones in Cumbria you wish to remove so that I can see how the plans affect my constituency."

New chair for local committee GREAT Strickland farmer County Councillor Gary Strong has been elected chairman of Cumbria County Council's Eden local committee. County Councillor Roger Bird was elected as vice-chair. Coun Strong, 38, is married to Karen and was elected to the council in 2001. He is a member of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, a trustee of the Carlisle Settle Railway Trust, a member of the council's Rural Issues task group and a school governor at Ullswater Community College.

Man spends night in bush A MAN who failed to return home from a walk in the Helvellyn area spent the night under a bush in a ghyll as 32 rescuers from three areas searched the entire range for him. The 29-year-old walker from Carlisle was reported missing last Thursday night so Penrith, Patterdale and Keswick Mountain Rescue teams along with six search dogs looked for him. At first light on Friday, a helicopter from RAF Boulmer in Northumberland was called to assist and the man was found after sheltering under a bush when it got dark.