SIR — The thought of anyone closing down our public toilets is really a step too far. I have yet to come across anyone who has no need of a toilet.

Most people are aware of the financial situation of West Somerset Council and the hard decisions they are now faced with. But what do they imagine people are going to do if toilets are closed?

Our local public toilets at Blue Anchor are used by a wide variety of people such as utility workers, our postmen, refuse collectors, walkers along the coastal path, holiday visitors, school groups and local people.

There are care workers who work in and around this area who tell me Blue Anchor is the only unit open at night.

There are also regular events during the year that attract a great many visitors such as the raft race, the Red Arrows and see fishing contests, plus on every high tide fishermen are here at Blue Anchor.

There are admittedly toilet facilities in pubs and cafés for their own customers, but you can hardly expect them to accommodate the toilet needs of the general public.

And someone should be speaking up for the thousands of people who have the misfortune to suffer from bladder or bowel conditions. The closure of public toilets will severely inhibit their personal freedom and dignity.

My own experience with the district council has almost always been good, so I am very sorry to see them have to make a move that will most certainly alienate them from the public at large.

To close the toilets at Selworthy, Kilve and similar is just ludicrous for these places are gems for tourism to West Somerset.

The only one, I think could possibly be closed or preferably refurbished, are at the Carousel, the very sight of these from the outside, makes me positively ashamed to direct anyone to use them.

I am glad this matter has reached the Free Press and hope the public will respond and bring pressure on the council to explain more clearly their difficulties and the possible alternative plans they may have that will ensure our public toilets can remain open.

Perhaps we might ask our trusted MP Ian Liddell-Grainger to give his views and support, for a lot of people are going to be angry and rightly distressed with this news.

Just browsing online, I read this plea from Cllr Tim Taylor: "I invite and would welcome anyone from government to come to West Somerset to witness the challenges we are facing and experience the real issues of administering a large rural area like this, and then explain to me how these cuts to our code funding can be justified".

If this invitation has not yet been accepted, I hope Cllr Tim will keep up the good work by continuing to send out his invitation until it is responded to, then if he is able to secure extra funding some of it could be put towards keeping our toilets open.

Persistence can often achieve results!

Margaret Smith,

Cleeve Park,

Chapel Cleeve.