A plan to remove more than a quarter of the public phone boxes in Oxfordshire's countryside has been criticised as an attack on rural areas.

Just weeks after the Post Office began closing rural branches, British Telecom has announced it plans to remove 143 of the county's 535 pay phones claiming they are under used and unprofitable.

The hit-list includes the last pay phones in dozens of villages across the county and will see the end of 41 traditional red phone boxes.

West Oxfordshire District Council leader Barry Norton lives in North Leigh which faces losing its last remaining phone box.

He said: "I am sure people will see this as another attack on rural areas.

"It follows the Post Office closures and worries about GP surgeries. It is always the rural areas that seem to get it worse.

"It is the most vulnerable and elderly I worry about because they are less likely to have a mobile or house phone."

BT says around a third of the phones it plans to remove are used less than once a month.

Cassington also faces losing its phone box. Parish council vice chairman Olaf Rock said: "It is true almost everyone has a mobile or house phone, but I would like it to stay if only for public service.

"There are people living in Cassington from a wide spectrum of ages and there may be a number of elderly people who do not have a telephone."

If a phone box at Ditchley Road in Charlbury, which is also on the list, is removed the town centre would be left with just one remaining booth.

Nick Potter, chairman of Charlbury Town Council, said: "It is a very sad loss if we lose yet another telephone box. My opinion is it should stay.

"We will try and convince people to keep it."

West Oxfordshire has 32 pay phones facing the axe, there are 36 under threat in Vale of White Horse, 25 in Cherwell and 50 in South Oxfordshire.

BT has yet to finalise the pay phones it wants removed in and around Oxford.

A spokesman said less than one call a week was made from half its phone boxes, while a third were used less than once a month.

He added: "Almost 60 per cent of our pay phones are unprofitable.

"Pay phone usage has halved in the last two years and calls are still declining."