SEVERAL Streetlife users are up in arms about the poor state of Weston’s public toilets.

Comments on the community social media site included complaints about the 20p cost to use many of the town’s loos and the poor state in which toilets are often found.

Jill B said: “The loos in Weston are disgusting and to be made to pay to go in them is nothing short of criminal.”

Suzanne H agreed: “I wouldn’t personally object to a 20p charge if the toilets were at least maintained to an acceptable standard. There is no soap in the automatic dispensers and they are incredibly basic and unhygienic. Is this the image we want to project to tourists?”

Other users blamed the state of the toilets on North Somerset Council’s (NSC) decision to stop paying for them to be maintained; a move which left Weston Town Council with sole responsibility for funding and maintaining the town’s public loos.

Philip P said: “The toilets in Weston do not seem to be maintained properly. Furthermore, since changes were made to them, they gobble up money without delivering a service.

“We used to enjoy a decent service, but then NSC decided not to fund it anymore and did a runner, leaving the Town Council to pick up the pieces.”

David D felt that Weston Town Council could have avoided the problem altogether: “Why didn’t they (the Town Council) just install a pay turnstile in the entrance and retain the wonderful attendants they had there?”

Pat B was a fan of David D’s suggestion: “A turnstile and a payment equal to what is being paid now would surely pay for an attendant to clean the toilets and stop vandalism.”

However, Dave B felt that Weston Town Council’s lack of money was a key factor in the toilet problems: “I think Weston Town Council have got to be acknowledged for voluntarily taking over the toilets when NSC were going to close them down. Their budgetary constraints probably explain the 20p charge and the absence of attendants.”

Ray K, meanwhile, did not feel that anything was wrong. He said: “20p to pee seems very fair to me. I don’t know what all the fuss is about.”