Children have been ‘in tears’ a councillor has said after an old phone box used as a book exchange was set on fire in a suspected arson in Witnesham.

Swilland and Witnesham council chairman Dr Richard Nicol said it was a K6 phone box dating all the way back to the 1930s and the fire had deeply upset the town.

According to Suffolk police, the old phone box, was set alight overnight between Tuesday, November 14, and Wednesday, November 15. 

East Anglian Daily Times: The phone box after the fireThe phone box after the fire (Image: Charlotte Bond)

It is being investigated as arson not endangering life but so far no arrests have been made.

Cllr Nicol said: “People are really upset and very disappointed. If it is vandalism, we can’t understand how someone would decide to do that.

“I’ve heard that young children have been in tears because they can’t change the books they want to change.

“It’s quite near the school that phone box so a lot of children use it to swap books over.”

He added: “We just don’t know what caused it but we’ve paid someone to clear it away.

“Everything had collapsed, and the books were blowing over the field but now we’re pursuing our insurance company.

“There’s a lot people want us to replace it so we will seriously look into that.”

The headteacher of Witnesham primary school, which is near the phone box, also said it had upset students: “The suspected arson of the Witnesham book exchange is very upsetting for our local community.

“The children loved to swap their books and will miss this valuable resource.

“I hope that as a community we can work together to rebuild this wonderful resource.”

Officers are appealing for information following the blaze in High Road in Witnesham. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk police is asked to contact quoting crime reference 37/66768/23.