A takeaway Italian sandwich bar is set to move into an old Hampstead phone box.

Gabriele Contenta, 30, is aiming to open his new business called Pinkadella in December, serving filled focaccia.

Camden Council granted planning permission on October 13 to change the use of the listed red telephone booth outside the former Lloyds at 40 Rosslyn Hill.

Gabriele, who lives in Hackney and is originally from Rome, says he is excited to get going in NW3.

“I was waiting for a long time to open but I think right now it's the right moment because, little by little, everything is coming back to normal,” Gabriele told the Ham&High.

“I like the Hampstead area. It's very nice and it reminds me of a small village. Hampstead looks like a real community where everybody helps each other out. I'm very excited and can't wait to open.”

Gabriele comes from a family steeped in Italian food – his grandpa had a restaurant in Rome and his mother is a chef.

Many London telephone boxes have been repurposed in recent years, including the Original Red Coffee Box in Hampstead High Street.