Plans to close 170 phone boxes in the Highlands could put climbers lives at risk, it has been claimed.

BT, which operates 4800 public telephones in Scotland, has announced plans to shut 178 phone boxes in the region due to low usage.

Mountaineering Scotland argued the public payphones can be a lifeline for climbers caught up in emergencies in remote parts of Scotland with low mobile signal.

Highland Council is seeking views on the plans, while the organisation formerly known as the Mountaineering Council of Scotland has raised concerns over 50 of the proposed closures.

Mountaineering Scotland chief executive David Gibson said: "Payphones in remote areas remain the most reliable form of communication available to the general public in areas where mobile signals are unreliable or non-existent and, importantly, in low temperatures when access to mobile signals are compromised due to mobile device batteries becoming inoperative due to the temperature conditions.

"We believe that the closure of such payphones could result in a risk to life in circumstances in which parties to a mountaineering accident seek urgent contact with the police and mountain rescue to assist those in difficulties."

The organisation is calling on members of the public to raise concerns over the proposed removal of the boxes as part of Highland Council's consultation on the move.

Mr Gibson added: "We are urging Highland Council to press BT for the retention of the 50 payphones we have identified as being in areas of interest to mountaineers as their removal could contribute to a failure to obtain assistance that would otherwise be available to mountaineers in need."

While BT reiterated the proposals are out for consultation, the company referenced the overall decline in the public use of the boxes, with not a single call made from 707 Scottish phone boxes over the past 12 months.

A BT spokesman said: "BT is committed to providing a public payphone service but with usage declining by over 90% in the last decade, we've continued to review and remove payphones which are no longer needed.

"Any removal of payphones is carried out in strict adherence to the Ofcom guidelines and, where appropriate, with the consent of local authorities.

"In all instances where there's no other payphone within 400 metres, we'll ask for consent from the local authority to remove the payphone.

"Where we receive objections from the local authority, we won't remove the payphone."

He added: "We listen carefully to any community concerns and have already, for example, removed from the consultation the payphone at the ski-slope in the Cairngorms.

"Where concerns are raised to us through the local planning authority, we will not remove the payphone."

On Wednesday BT removed three phoneboxes from its list of ones earmarked for closure. They are located at Glenbrittle, Tighean-Na-Glibe (Staffin) and Glencoe.

Members of the public have until October 24 to comment on the proposals for the remaining 175 phone boxes.