The Community Heartbeat Trust have informed the council that gangs of thieves have been attempting to remove telephone boxes from village sites in Leicestershire and Rutland.

They apparently make false claims to be employed by BT, wear hi-vis jackets and use a pneumatic drill.

Cold Ashby’s box, containing a yet-to-be-activated defibrillator, is no longer owned by BT but has been purchased and renovated by our Parish Council.

This could make it a target for these thieves so we’d best keep our eyes (and ears) open and report any such suspicious activity to the police.