Last ever Doncaster phone book drops through doors after nearly 150 years

It means the trusty publication - a feature of homes and offices for generations – will no longer be printed.

The writing was on the wall for the phone book - first published in Victorian times - when BT made its content available on a website in 2005.

Customers in Doncaster are now receiving their final edition, with the advice on the cover 'hold on to it forever.'

It tells the history of the phone book, started on January 15 1880 with the details of just 248 London personal and business names - but crucially no telephone numbers.

It took a further 16 years before the first national phone book made an appearance, containing 1350 pages and 81,000 entries.

Environmental influences brought about a number of changes to the phone book over the years. In 2010, the 'compact' phone book was introduced to fit through letter boxes - saving 2,000 tonnes of paper each year.

In 2019, the removal of the plastic wrapping paper from 22 million copies made a 'massive' impact on waste reduction.

The current run of 18 million phone books will come to an end next year, with the last one due to be delivered in March 2024.

At its peak, the books were weighty tomes – packed with hundreds of numbers as well as addresses – and it even became a feat of strength on TV for people trying to tear them in half.

But the latest Doncaster edition weighs in at a flimsy 104 pages.

Faisal Mahomed, Director of BT's UK portfolio businesses, said:"This is a positive change, and it's something many of our customers have been asking us for.

‘However, it's not a decision we've taken lightly. We know there are a small number of customers who may still rely on a printed phone book.

"To make sure they aren't left behind, we have consulted with Ofcom and are proactively putting measures in place to support these customers."

Among them is a pdf version of the phone book, which can be downloaded from the BT website.