PUBLIC toilets in North Dorset could be closed at night in a bid to stop them being spoilt by vandals and drug users.

Council chiefs have agreed to investigate the feasibility of closing loos at night after a report branded some of them "a disgrace".

Officers on site visits encountered drug paraphernalia, human filth over floors and walls, vandalism, blocked toilets and flooding.

A report which went before North Dorset District Council's Cabinet meeting yesterday reads: "While some of our facilities are quite acceptable, many are not; and some are a disgrace. Their design and construction is inimical to sustainable good- quality provision."

Councillors will be asked to heed comments from some tourists put off returning because of the state of the toilets, which one visitor described as "absolutely disgusting" .

The council has put aside £110,000 for refurbishing the public conveniences between 2003 and 2008 and the running cost of the service is estimated at £140,000 a year.

Councillors will also investigate improving provision of public toilets, either by refurbishing all of them - which would require massive capital investment - closing some and retaining others or rebuilding them with a commercial provider.

The community sub- committee, which carried out the site visits, is advising against closing all public toilets because they claim that would not be fair on the public.

Instead councillors are looking into closing them at night except by prior agreement for special events. People genuinely relying on public loos, such as taxi drivers, could buy a key to give access after they are closed.

Parish councils in the area will be consulted about the proposals and if closure does go ahead it will be closely monitored.

First published: October 18