WORK STOPS ON DEMOLITION SO COUNCILLOR CAN TAKE GLORY

The Long-Awaited Removal of a Hangout for Drug Dealers Has Been Put
on Hold - So the Council Can Stage a Publicity Stunt.

Tom Nicol and fellow residents had been campaigning for the removal
of the phone box, which is used by drug dealers, outside Highstone
Mansions in Camden Road, for more than two years.

But after four days of work to remove it last week, contractors left
it behind so Cllr Mike Greene could stage a photo opportunity while
he removes it with a JCB at 11.30am today.

Last Thursday, contractors took the slabs up and removed the
concrete base of the phone box but then replaced it with tarmac.

Mr Nicol (pictured) said: "You don't knock these things down with
JCBs usually. A day's work and it would have been gone. It's cost us
all money to get the paving slabs dug up and laid, then dug up and laid again.

"I asked the guy why they hadn't taken it away and he said, 'There's
going to be a taking away ceremony.' I didn't know if he was joking."

A council spokeswoman said the contractors were assessing how hard
it would be to remove the 25 boxes and the process of removing them
would start today. She said: "This is a means of letting residents
know that this is happening.