There have been calls to remove a "disgusting" phone box in Newport which local campaigners say has become a hotspot for drug use and prostitution.
Local campaign group Pride in Pill said the BT phone box on Tredegar Street in Pillgwenlly is being used every day by drug users and dealers, as well as by prostitutes.
They say dozens of needles and other drug paraphernalia are being discarded in the box every day and have called for it to be permanently removed.
Speaking to WalesOnline, Paul Murphy who runs Pride in Pill called the phone box "disgusting" and said it was a threat to families and small children passing by every day.
"It's been going on for some time now. In 2016 or 2017 I tried to get BT to knock it down but instead was told they would clean them," he said.
Mr Murphy added: "Whatever time you go past, any time of day, it doesn't matter. There are drug dealers and people using drugs there.
"Last Friday there were prostitutes doing business there.
"BT say they can clean them, but this is happening all the time. How often would they have to clean them?
"It has been cleaned regularly but it's happening all the time - it's disgusting."
Mr Murphy said he was unsure if the phone box was even still operational and didn't understand why it couldn't be removed.
He said he'd been told BT don't usually remove phone boxes for antisocial behaviour reasons and that the issue was a police matter.
"I pass there five or six times a day and I've never seen anybody using it.
"But people are dumping drugs, sharps etc there regularly.
"You have families going by with babies and small kids, and it isn't nice for them.
"It needs to be moved as it's not safe. You have people using drugs, shouting and swearing every day while families are passing."
A spokesperson for BT said: "One of our engineers is being sent to clean the phone box which is in good working order.
"This phone is being used for calls on a regular basis by members of the public and is providing a vital community service, so it wouldn’t be right for us to remove it at this stage.
"We would encourage anyone who witnesses illegal activity to report it to the police. While crime and anti-social behaviour are a matter for the police, we are committed to working closely with the police and the local community to support requests we receive."
A spokesperson from Gwent Police said regular patrols were taking place across the whole of the area but that no problems had been reported at the phone box on Tredegar Street.
"We would encourage anyone with any concerns to contact us on 101 or you can direct message us on Facebook or Twitter," they said.
