And so the beginning of the sad removal of yet another landmark item begins, this time in the shape of a familiar blue box.

The 22 blue police boxes that are scattered over Edinburgh’s streets have become surplus to requirements for the Bobbies and are about to be put up for public auction. Twelve will initially go on sale; there’s no pricing, so you’ll have to make your best offer and hope that you win. It seems that the local council, who are making the necessary arrangements, are trying to find out just how much someone will pay for one of these.

These police boxes, which are a different design to the ones found in Glasgow and other cities in Britain, are a popular attraction for Whovians visiting Edinburgh, although in fairness the booths have fallen into a state of disrepair in recent times.

Those lucky enough to get their hands on one of these beauties will either have to obtain a council permit to keep them on the streets and paint them an alternative colour or make alternative arrangements for the 2 ton structures to live somewhere else within a month. Other police boxes that have been sold in the past have become a variety of things including newspaper stands and mini coffee outlets.

All the proceeds from sales go to the Force Capital Investment Program.