Nostalgia: Time travel in police boxes

IT was the news that sent Doctor Who fans scrambling to check their bank balances.

Lothian and Borders Police announced this week that they are to sell off 22 of their iconic boxes – known to time travel fanatics the world over – to the highest bidders.

The city’s police boxes were designed by Ebenezer MacRae from 1931-1933 to complement the classic architecture of the Capital.

At their peak there were 86 scattered around the streets, with the boxes used by officers to phone in progress reports and also providing the public with an easy way to contact the local force in case of an emergency – at a time before everyone had a mobile phone to hand.

Their impact on crime rates were said to be “negligible” however, and in 1995, 33 were sold off and many are now run by the Police Box Coffee Company.