Can I remove these old sockets/phone thingys from my wall?

[lurchersrule]

I want to add a freestanding cupboard to my newly done kitchen but the place where they would need to go has these on the wall. If I can't remove them the new cupboard will extend about 1cm from the cupboard it will be next to, which doesn't bother me massively. I could get an extra bit of fitted kitchen to go there and then the fitter could probably cut the back out to accommodate them but I would prefer one of the lovely freestanding cupboards I've seen and also imagine it would take me ages to get someone willing to do that small and fiddly job.

Do I need an electrician or can me/someone slightly handy unscrew the bulky plastic and at least make the bigger one smaller, or shall I just shove the cupboard in front?

The open reach one looks like the master phone socket so I would be wary about messing with it. Not sure about the virgin one though, I guess that was fitted for broadband at some point, but if you aren't using it, it could probably go.

while Mn sniggers at landlines, if you haven't got one you can be quite screwed for comms at a time when it could matter most.

Everyone should have one, you don't need a call package but you should have it working and have a corded phone to plug in. And that means it needs to be accessible.

contact your broadband supplier to ask about paying openreach to move it.

Ah sorry I should have explained that neither are in use. I changed supplier and the new landline point and router is somewhere else entirely. I'm really just wondering if there is a way to reduce the depth, at least of the bigger one, without involving electricians. Sorry for the confusion!

If you have a new master socket, then you could just remove the boxes up to you if you want to fill in the holes, depends if they'll be hidden by the cupboards. May be good to leave them open if possible so they can be accessed if needed at a later point.

Okay so I have removed the plastic covers as shown and won't be able to go further without cutting wires. Does anyone know if these are electrical or just old phone wires that I can cut? Sorry for being so dense!

Asked DH as we had some.

If disconnected they will be dead. Apparently only have very low current anyway.

The safest is to put the wires in a small electrical block connector and wrap in insulating tape and leave sunk in the wall in case of future use. Just keep the boxes in the garage. If you re I've the cupboard you can reattach them.

Keep a note of which colour cable went to each connector

The only caveat is are you sure the BT one is dead? Looks like a broadband connection which other suppliers might use although most just have one connection which goes to the router.

Hope that helps

If you have a router plugged in a different socket and have absolutely no plans to use this other socket cut and the cable and fill the void.
There’d be a small current if still wired as an extension so you’d be best to check the socket you’re currently using to ensure the extension wiring isn’t connected

@Sweetandawfulsour
If it's live and the master socket, the extension socket will stop working....

Thanks both. I'm currently with Virgin and I don't think they use Openreach - think I had that when I was with Sky. Think I'll wrap the wires as suggested and go from there. Thank you for the help!