DOCTOR Who uses his to travel to different time dimensions while Clark Kent uses one to change into Superman. However, the village of Thruxton has another use for its disused telephone box – as a library.

Thruxton Parish Council bought the iconic red box, next to The Green, from BT and after a spruce up turned it into the village’s first permanent library.

The phone box – which now proudly displays a sign saying ‘library’ – is open all day and night for residents to pop in to borrow a book.

There is no paperwork and the service is completely free.

Cllr John Davis, vice-chairman of the parish council, said: “There has been considerable interest within the village and we all hope people will use it and respect it.”

He added: “It’s another thing we are doing that enhances the community, for example we look after the village green very nicely, and this is another little thing – if people respect it then they like it.”

Resident Connie Chamberlain, aged 10, is the library monitor and regularly checks the paperbacks.

The village does not have its own library and is currently visited by the mobile library twice a month. However, from July this will be reduced to monthly visits.