Talk of the Town: We're hanging up on phone boxes

SAD news for lovers of the lowly phone box this week as BT revealed figures highlighting the dramatic collapse in the number of people using payphones with nearly everyone now carrying a mobile.

The figures show that a whopping 451 phone boxes in Scotland were not used to make a single call last year. Even on the bustling streets of the Capital there were eight lonely phone boxes ignored for the whole year.

While BT is obliged by Ofcom to maintain a public network, the number of boxes is under constant review.

So, if you value the humble phone box as an icon of Britishness, the message could be, use it or lose it.

Boyle drawn into online cartoon controversy

CONTROVERSY seems to follow Frankie Boyle wherever he goes - and now it seems Frank Boyle is trying to get in on the act.

While hate-baiting stand-up Frankie attracted a slew of complaints for his tasteless Tramadol Nights sketch show recently, even he didn't manage the mean feat of being censored on Facebook.

The same cannot be said of News cartoonist Frank, who was shocked to see a recent cartoon had been pulled from the site for, according to the message that replaced it, "being abusive or spammy".

The cartoon in question featured a Lothian bus decked out in green, in preparation of celebrating Hibs' first goal of 2011.

No prizes for guessing which disgruntled supporters might have found that offensive.

Battle of the burrito

YOU'VE heard of Tex-Mex nosh - but here comes Mac-Mex.

Edinburgh restaurant Illegal Jack's may have received a boost from the much-publicised arrival of its Haggis Burrito in time for Burns Night last week.

But one Leith eatery, Los Cardos, has been quick to point out that it has been offering the same Scots-Mexican fusion dish since last April.

Could this be the start of a McMexican Wave?

Fit as a butcher's dog

MANY people are trying to get back in shape after Christmas - but now it seems that's not enough.

Research by Petplan has found that 60 per cent more people would be willing to run if they had a companion, with a dog being the perfect exercise partner.

The pet insurance specialist has suggested dragging pampered pooches out for a run, with suggested exercises including the "canine cross-country".