People were puzzled after a larger-than-life telephone box suddenly appeared in the middle of a high street.

It turns out the massive booth, which was installed next to the clock tower in Sheerness, was an interactive art installation which has been touring Kent towns.

A programme of exhibitions and activities took place across Gravesend, Sheerness and Medway as part of the Estuary Festival.

The free event only comes around once every four years and had more than 20 projects taking place over nine days, starting on Saturday, June 21.

It aimed to celebrate the stories, places and people of the Thames Estuary.

The touring art installation – created by Damilola Odusote – was titled Call Me Back.

His first public commission looks at identity, exploring his background as someone who was born to Nigerian parents, fostered by a couple from Tilbury with Romany heritage and grew up in Essex.

It features a 1990s phone booth, inspired by the classic BT box.

He said the supersized element represents nostalgia and a child-like view of the world.

Phoneboxes were once part of everyday life but are now more of a relic of the past.

Many communities now use redundant boxes to house a defibrillator, while some have been turned into libraries or even mini-museums.

The installation invited viewers to reflect on the concept of reaching out to loved ones in moments of need.

It said: “When you only have 10p in your pocket during a time of crisis, who would you call? More importantly, who would call you back?”

Damilola has also spoken with children along the Estuary and integrated their stories to form audio recordings for the phone booth.

It has already visited Gravesend High Street and Sun Pier in Chatham.

Last Saturday (June 28), it was on the Island between 12pm and 5pm.

A picture of the phone booth was posted on a local Facebook group, which stirred a number of reactions from residents, with many asking why it was there.

One commented: “Ooohhh good! I'm very short-sighted – I can see those numbers!”

“Not exactly the TARDIS?!” a person joked.

Another said: “I saw this today, made me laugh. I was hoping that Dom Joly would turn up and shout out ello.”