A suspected arson attack has destroyed a red phone box that had been turned into a community library during the pandemic.

The inside of the kiosk in Bakers Cross, Cranbrook, was left blackened and melted, and most of the donated books were lost in the fire.

Jo Cottage, a primary school teacher, created the tiny library during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 with help from her two children, Harry and Daisy.

“Covid was a difficult time for everyone,” Jo said, “but especially for older people, many were stuck at home with just one book and no way to return it to the library.

“Children also had limited access to books and, as a result, were reading less.”

Every day on her way to work, she passed an unused, neglected phone booth and decided to give it a second life.

She shared the idea on the Cranbrook community Facebook page, and offers of help came quickly.

The first person to step forward was Mick O’Leary, who donated a bookcase.

“That’s how it all began,” Jo said.

“Without that bookcase, it would have been hard to get started.”

But the “shared act of kindness” was left almost destroyed when the blaze broke out at around 8pm on Saturday, March 29.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews arrived at 8.03pm and used a hose reel jet to extinguish the flames by 8.21pm.

“There were no reported injuries,” a spokesperson said.

“The cause is believed to be deliberate.”

The fire hasn’t broken Jo’s spirit, even if it broke her heart to see the damage, and she is determined to get the library back up and running again.

She said she doesn’t want to let the people who did it win.

For her, the red phone box wasn’t just a container for books, it was a piece of British identity.

“When you think of the UK, you think of red phone boxes, red buses, red post boxes,” she said.

“They’re part of who we are.”

Jo and her daughter Daisy saw the damage while walking around the village, delivering newspapers on Mother’s Day morning.

“It was just heartbreaking — such a heartless act,” she said.

She added: “All the books were black, the windows had melted, everything was gone.”

While some might have walked away, Jo was back at the phone box within hours, gloves on, clearing out the damage with Harry and Daisy.

“I just couldn’t leave it like that,” she said.

“It might seem like a small thing, but it matters to people.”

One of the parish council’s initiatives was to install a defibrillator in the phone box, an idea Jo welcomed with gratitude.

She once witnessed the sudden death of a teacher and believes these devices are essential.

In her view, a small community library can always make room for something that might one day save a life.

The kiosk is now managed by the parish council.

Since posting about the fire online, Jo has been overwhelmed by offers of support, from people willing to help clean and repaint it, to tradespeople donating glass, paint, tools, and even fire restoration services.

“The Cranbrook Men’s Shed has offered to help with repairs, and new book donations have already started to arrive,” Jo said.

“There’s a lot happening in the world that makes you wonder if anyone still cares but this, this shows they do.”

Anyone who wants to support the rebuild or donate books can follow updates on the Cranbrook Facebook group or contact the parish council directly.

Kent Police is investigating the fire and has appealed for information.

A spokesperson said: “Kent Police is investigating a reported arson to a telephone box that was being used as a community library in Bakers Cross, Cranbrook.

The incident happened at around 8pm on Saturday 29 March 2025.”

Anyone with information is urged to call 01622 604100, quoting crime reference 46/55055/25, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111