Plea to clean up 'disgusting' public toilets in Cambridge

Public toilets in a city are dirty, inaccessible or in general need of repair, the BBC has found.

Cambridge City Council is responsible for 14 toilet facilities across the city, but checks found few were up to scratch.

One worker said the Jesus Green public toilets were "disgusting" and often drew complaints.

The authority said loos were "inspected on a weekly basis for maintenance purposes along with regular visits".

A council spokesperson added that teams visited each site to clean them "two to three times each day."

"We encourage residents and visitors to report any issues with public toilets to us as soon as possible so they can be addressed," they said.

Paul Kinnear, who works opposite the public toilets at a snack cabin on Jesus Green in Cambridge, said people often complained about them.

"It's probably the most beautiful park in Cambridge - with the worst toilets I've ever seen," he said.

"Everyone who comes out here complains to us thinking it's ours, but it's not.

"They're never clean. They're just horrible."

He said that the facilities were cleaned, but added: "It only takes two minutes and they're rotten again".

The BBC visited all 14 toilets listed on the council's website and found a number were either in need of repair, unclean or inaccessible.

Chesterton Recreation Ground toilets were one of the few that were clean and accessible.

The council said: "Some of our toilets operate on reduced hours during the winter months, as they have very low footfall during this period.

"Where possible, we try to keep nearby toilets open when closing others, so that residents and visitors can still have good access to public toilets across the city.

"We have committed to investing £625,000 to complete upgrades which will offer residents and visitors better facilities."

Raymond Martin, managing director of the British Toilet Association, has been campaigning for 24 years to get more toilets installed around the country.

"Toilets are about health and wellbeing, equality, public decency and safety," he said.

"Around 50-60% have been closed, locked up or sold off.

"Councils have the toilets, they need them but don't have the money to clean them. They are just declining."

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