PHONEBOX fans have come from far and wide to picture it but now a campaign has been launched to see the unusual combination of phone and postbox on Bridge Foot restored.

The bright red box near Mr Smiths is believed to be one of just five ‘K4 designs’ left in the country.

But after finding it looking ‘shabby and in disarray’ Latchford resident Rebecca Rowley is now calling for the box to be restored and protected.

The 31-year-old history enthusiast said: “My auntie had been watching a BBC4 programme that mentioned it was very rare and one of the few remaining ones was in Warrington.

“She used to live in the town and remembered it and asked my mum and dad to go have a look but they were so disappointed to find it in disarray.

“It’s a shame to let something which is a piece of history go to wrack and ruin.

“It should be fixed up and perhaps also listed by the council as it’s a nice thing for Warrington to have.”

Research suggests K4 boxes were produced between 1929 and 1935 which in Warrington would fit with the opening of the Ritz cinema and the remodelling of the landscape around it.

The K4 was built to provide the services of a telephone kiosk and post office incorporating a stamp vending device and letter box and was one of only 50 produced.

Their popularity was hindered by their shape as they were much larger than other designs and the noise of the stamp vending machine interfering with telephone calls and damp penetrating the machine and affecting the dispensing of the rolls of stamps.

In 2010 the Warrington Guardian reported the Letter Box Study Group visited the hybrid phonebox and chairman Andrew Young, from Appleton, agrees it should be preserved.

He added: “The box used to be on Mersey Street with two ordinary ones either side in the early 1980s.

“We know there is another one still in use in Frodsham too.

“I think it’s worthy of listing but we would be fighting a losing battle as letter boxes can no longer be listed but it is worthy of being looked after and preserved.”

The council did not wish to comment.