AN OLD and disused red telephone box in Oxford city centre is due to be spruced up and redecorated so it can be turned into an advertising space.

The phone box, in Market Street outside the Covered Market, will be transformed later this year if plans are approved by Oxford City Council.

Red Kiosk Company plans to lock up the box and re-paint it red, before installing two large LCD screens on the inside of the glass.

Spokesman Edward Ottewell said the company was passionate about preserving historic red phone boxes.

He said: “BT was going to remove a lot of them but we stepped in to say we did not want to let that happen. BT is not making any money from them as no-one uses pay phones anymore.

“We want to bring them to life and refurbish them.”

Red Kiosk will also be donating 10 per cent of profits accumulated from the advertising to charities in Oxford. India Lowe, who works at the milkshake company Moo Moos in the Covered Market, said: “I thought they were just going to take it down. But transforming it and giving money to charity – that’s a really nice idea.”

Macsamillion shoe shop owner Vicki Alder said she thought it was a modern and forward-thinking initiative. She said: “I think anything a bit different is quite good.

“It would be a shame to lose the phone boxes as they have been here a very long time and the tourists like to see them.”

Councillor Ruthi Brandt said she was apprehensive about the phone box being used as another way of “shoving adverts in people’s faces”.

She said: “It sounds interesting and it’s always good to find uses for things just standing there. But I’m not a fan of it being used to shove advertising down people’s throats.

“Without seeing all the details, it’s not something I’m very excited about.”

A decision is due to be made by Oxford City Council planners by September 18. To comment on the application visit public.oxford.gov.uk and use reference 15/02225/ADV.