What you could do with it (apart from cross time and space)

Published on 30/04/2012 02:28

DESPITE offering rather less interior space than the Tardis, several of Edinburgh’s old police boxes have already rematerialised into new uses.

While coffee sales has become the boxes’ most established new function, other options could include as a newsstand or flower stall.

The more adventurous could look towards a mini-gallery or arts venue – one was used for a Fringe show – or tourist information kiosk.

There have even been suggestions that they could be used by the Catholic Church as confession boxes.

The latest batch to be put up for grabs include three in the Royal Mile – beside the Tron Kirk, at the Lawnmarket and at the Cranston Street junction.

Another is in Princes Street near South Charlotte Street.

Originally built to provide communications and rapid response in the days before police walkie-talkies, they were superseded by modern communications.

However, the Lothian and Borders force has revamped several of its boxes as electronic help points.

The police said the other boxes would be kept for operational use, including for traffic wardens and contact points for safer neighbourhood teams.

Police property manager Sara Griffiths said: “When these boxes were introduced, they would have proved invaluable to officers, but as technology and policing methods evolved, a number of them have now become obsolete.

“This is a great opportunity for collectors to snap up a unique piece of Edinburgh – and policing history.”

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