Call for Sunderland's seaside public toilets to reopen as residents find excrement in the streets

Karen King, who lives close to the beach at Roker, said keeping the toilets closed meant people were either denied access to the beach or forced to take alternative measures.

Now she is calling on the council to reopen the facilities along the seafront.

“It is causing people massive inconvenience,” she said.

“Everywhere you go, there is either poo or wee,” she said.

“If you go round the back of Grannie Annie's, you can see where everybody has been.

“All those people at the beach, where are they going for a wee? They are going round the back lanes.

The problem had started when the Government announced relaxation of the lockdown rules, said Karen: “It is now about two weeks.

“The public are urinating and pooing in the street. It is all over the place, everywhere you go that is out of sight.

“It is a public health hazard.”

The toilets had been closed to limit spread of the coronavirus.

Karen said from what she has seen most visitors to the seafront were complying with the social distancing rules.

She believes the council could carry out a limited reopening and post staff at the toilets to ensure they do not get too busy.

“Why don’t they just post somebody there to say ‘One in, one out’?” she asked.

Coun Amy Wilson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport at Sunderland City Council said the authority was acting on Government advice aimed at reducing the spread of the virus.

“The council’s public toilets are closed because of the need to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus which in line with government guidance on residents staying at home and only going out for exercise or work when absolutely necessary,” she said.

“There should be no need for public toilets at the current time because we are not encouraging people to visit the resorts.

“The situation remains under review taking into account emerging government guidance on public restrictions, which will inform us about when it will be appropriate and safe for residents to use them.”

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