RESIDENTS and traders have launched a fight to save their public toilets on Portland.

The block in Castletown is earmarked for closure at the end of the summer under a shake-up of facilities in the borough.

But campaigners fear that the closure would affect families using the beach, divers, tourists and visitors to Portland Port.

Now the Castletown Residents and Business Association (Crab) has launched a campaign to keep the conveniences open at the cost of about £2,700 a year with fundraising events, including a boat jumble.

Crab secretary Tina Thomas said: “We are still in the early stages but we are really keen to take them on and keep them open.

“Once they are shut it would be very difficult to re-open them.

“They would just become an eyesore and a magnet for trouble. Further down the line they could go out to tender and may end up as an ice cream kiosk or something.”

She added: “It is important to keep them open.

“Families come to Castletown beach, and a lot of divers use the area. The last thing we want is children going into the pubs to use the toilets.

“From a health and safety point of view, it wouldn’t be suitable for divers to be traipsing in and out of the pubs to use the toilets.

“Quite a few visitors come out of the port at all times of the evening and morning, and they often use them.”

The toilets are due to close at the end of the summer as part of a shake-up by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

The public conveniences at Chapelhay Steps in Weymouth are also due to close.

But £30,000 will be pumped into facilities in St Edmund Street in Weymouth town centre with the aim of keeping them open 24 hours.

The Chapelhay toilets will only close when work is finished on the St Edmund Street facilities.

Mrs Thomas, who runs the Sea Horse shop in Castletown, said they were in talks with the council, which had been very helpful. She said that the residents and traders had maintenance skills in such areas as plumbing and building, and could also take it in turns to clean the toilets.

But she said that they would still have to pay for such costs as water, rates and electricity.

The toilets may be kept open with a reduced number of cubicles to keep costs to a minimum.

Crab recently held a ‘boat jumble’ sale of maritime goods and articles to boost the coffers.

Mrs Thomas said: “It went very well and I was pleased with the response.

“Now we are looking to run it again, possible as an indoor market once a month or once a fortnight.”

Call Mrs Thomas on 01305 860402 to help out with the campaign.