Villagers are celebrating after news they will get their only public phone back.
In February the Cornish Times reported that Downderry residents were angry BT had removed the only public phone in their village.
Residents protested that with little or no mobile phone reception in the area anyone in trouble on the beach or on holiday would be unable to contact the emergency services because the next nearest phone box is more than a mile away in Seaton.
The village was given two choices by BT – to 'adopt a kiosk', allowing the parish council to buy the kiosk for £1 but lose the working phone, or 'sponsor a kiosk', giving the parish council the option to pay BT £500 a year to maintain the working phone.
Deviock Parish Council applied to 'adopt a kiosk' because they couldn't afford £500 to 'sponsor a kiosk' and did not realise this would mean losing the phone. Although last month BT insisted they would not replace the removed phone, on Tuesday the phone was reinstated at no cost to the parish council.
Jason Mann, spokesman for BT, said: 'In the consultation period there were no objections to the phone being removed. Since then we have found a significant increase in the use of the pay phone, showing a social need for it, and we have decided to reinstate a mechanism in the kiosk.'
Downderry resident Tina Jefferies said: 'Everyone's hard work was worthwhile and thank goodness because there is no mobile network or phone in the village.'
Caradon councillor, Jim Candy said: 'I would like to thank Tina Jefferies for the campaign that was mounted in order to get the payphone reinstated.
'I am sure this pressure, adding weight to representations made by Colin Breed MP and myself, played a significant part in getting BT to change its decision.'