THE Automobile Association is set to phase out its purpose-built roadside telephones from the verges of roads in South Lakeland and north Lancashire because of a lack of use.

The UK's leading motoring organisation said people were now using mobile phones when they broke down and nationally only 6,000 calls out of nearly 5.5 million made to the AA were from roadside phones.

But the early wooden sentry boxes will remain standing, although the phones will be removed, because some like the one on Dunmail Raise, near Grasmere, are listed buildings.

Kerry Richardson, AA Director of Road Services, said most of the 522 roadside phones across the country would be phased out, including 30 in the North West.

She added that some of the phones, mainly on trunk roads, would be taken over by other agencies, including the Highways Agency.

The phones that will be lost in Cumbria are at the following locations: A684 westbound and eastbound, half a mile from junction 37 of the M6; A66 eastbound and westbound, Appleby; A591 southbound at Crooklands and A590 northbound at Crooklands; A6, 100 metres from junction 35 of the M6 at Carnforth; A591 at Dunmail Raise, near Grasmere; A592 Kirkstone Pass Inn, Ambleside; A66 Bassenthwaite Lake; A74 southbound, Rockcliffe (Metalbridge), three miles south of junction A75.