Future of sex hotspot toilets to be decided

The future of public toilets in the centre of Shrewsbury - which have been labelled by police as a hotspot for a sexual practice known as "cottaging" - will be discussed behind closed doors at a meeting next week.

The dilapidated toilets in Butcher Row were closed in February after Shrewsbury Town Council took action following advice from police.

Councillor Malcolm Price said West Mercia Police had warned the authority that the lavatories were being advertised on a national website for groups of men to meet up for anonymous sex.

The council said it had closed the men's toilets after councillors heard that there were concerns for the safety of members of the public and of staff.

Helen Ball, Shrewsbury Town clerk, today said councillors would receive an update on Monday night, but the public will be barred from attending.

Mrs Ball said: "I think a lot of it is because of the unpleasant nature of the matter as well as contractual reasons as well."

She said any decisions made by the committee will be revealed on Tuesday.

Councillor Price said the council needed to make a decision quickly .

He said: "We closed the toilets in February to see what the public response was and we have signposted people to other areas of the town with regards to public toilet facilities.

"But as a council we have got to make a decision one way or another, whether to retain them in their current form or get rid of them. There could be a revamp but part of the problem is that the toilets are below ground and not really disabled compliant and if they are retained I think they will need to be rebuilt on the ground level."

Mr Price said that any decisions would be put out to public consultation.