Fish Hill toilets damaged by vandals

VANDALS have severely damaged the �155,000 toilets on Royston’s Fish Hill forcing the district council to close them.

The heavy wooden doors and hinges were broken in the attack.

It is unknown how long the facilities, which were among the winners in the national Loo of the Year awards in 2010, will be closed, until the full extent of the damage is ascertained.

Cllr Peter Burt, North Herts District Council portfolio holder for waste, said: “It is a great shame that we have been forced to close the toilets on Fish Hill.

“Yet again, this is due to vandalism and appears to have been the result of a concerted effort to damage public property.

“Sadly it will now affect the whole community, including the elderly, parents with young children, and anyone else using the town centre and Priory Memorial Gardens.

“Our community safety team is working with the police to try to prevent further acts of vandalism occurring.

“At the same time I would urge people in Royston to work together to help ensure that those who have caused this damage are brought to account.

“If you know anything please phone the police on 101, their non-emergency number, and if you see an incident taking place, call 999.”

Veteran campaigner Terry Hutt, who has fought to improve and maintain the toilet facilities in the town, has hit out at the vandals.

“The people who are doing it haven’t got a clue what it’s all about – they probably don’t know what toilets are,” he said.

“They are for everyone’s use. All the vandals are doing is causing problems for everyone.

“They’re causing inconvenience for young people and old people.

“It’s sad to see they have been vandalised, it’s the few who have done it – they are rotters who don’t have anything to do.”