WEST Dorset Council has been panned for ordering the cost-saving closure of public toilets while making vast profits on its car parks.

Ticket sales to motorists exceeded the estimated income by a thumping £285,000 last year.

Bridport town and district councillor David Tett says some of this huge profit should be used to keep open five public toilets set to be axed in April.

Bridport town hall loos are amongst those for which funding is being withdrawn, although the town council has now agreed it will find the money to keep them open.

In a written question to the district council, Coun Tett asked: "As much of the car park income is deployed in the maintenance of car parks and toilets why was it deemed necessary to close or withdraw operational funding from five venues in the district to make a saving of £50,000?"

In a formal reply Leader of the Council Robert Gould accepted that over the three financial years from April 2001 through to March 2004 income from car parks exceeded budget by £114,000, £144,000 and £285,000 respectively.

But he said such increases could not be relied upon.

Later in statement to the News he explained: "The district council is already using some of the extra income generated by its car parking operations to keep council tax rises down. Even after that it still needed to find savings.

"In order to find some of these savings, the district council decided to withdraw funding from the Bridport Town Hall toilets. It did so because it is satisfied that other toilets are provided within walking distance.

"If the district council continues to operate the town hall toilets it would need to carry out considerable refurbishment which is incompatible with its strategy of finding savings.

"I am very pleased to learn that Bridport Town Council has decided to take over operating these toilets which it owns."