Anger grows over lost toilets

Protester Jackie Bialeska handed in 487 letters to the Town Hall. The hand-written objections to Rother economy measures which have seen the closure of public toilets at Little Common Road, Buckhurst Place and Marina were gathered in just four days.

Working independently, Jackie says: "I am vox populi - if people feel strongly about an issue I feel I should pass their views on to the council.

"I haven't stood at a street corner and asked people to support this.

"I just left blank sheets addressed 'Dear Councillor...' at an unattended collection point and picked them up at the end of the day."

As a result of two days near the most sorely-missed of the public loos at Marina and a day and a bit at Devonshire Road, Jackie had the views of 402 residents and 85 visitors to the town, some from as far afield as Bude and Harrogate.

Now Jackie says she will continue to put blank letters at her collection point and will keep putting the resultant written comments before the working party.

A visitor from Ashford wrote: "I'd like these toilets to re-open as I was in need at the time. It is becoming difficult to find any public toilet anywhere."

A visitor from Croydon wrote: "I come here regularly, finding Bexhill a very pleasant place. I am, however, severely disabled and finding these toilets closed was a calamity for me. I do hope you will re-open them in the future."

Another visitor wrote: "You open a contemporary arts centre and close the local loos. Has local government gone mad?"

The nearest alternatives to the Marina toilets are in Devonshire Square. Another visitor wrote: "We don't know Bexhill very well. Where is Devonshire Square - exactly what do I do in the meantime?"

Visitors from Cornwall wrote: "We are only visiting but may go home with wet pants! This will not happen in Bude."

"The directions to an alternative toilet were meaningless to me as a visitor" wrote someone from Harrogate.

"First-time visitor to Bexhill. Spoilt by no toilet facilities Force to spend 5 on coffee just to go for a pee. Priorities are wrong - De La Warr Pavilion seems poorly finished, better keep toilets open" said someone from Sutton, Surrey.

Bexhillians are equally outspoken. "I wonder if Rother councillors have gone completely insane.."; "I have been quite distressed and have wet my clothes so have had to sit secluded on the beach..."

"Don't condemn Bexhill to a ghost town by this idiocy!"; "How dare you try to pass on this responsibility to restaurant owners" and "Madness- are you trying to kill off Bexhill?"