A TAVISTOCK schoolgirl has been left appalled after discovering faeces covering public toilets in the town centre last week.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Burgess went to use the public toilets in the Bedford Car Park at around 3pm last Wednesday (April 6) and was ‘horrified by the atrocity’ and poor hygiene standards of the toilets.

‘I was appalled by the sight of faecal matter smeared all over a cubicle and its floor,’ she said.

‘The sanitary facilities were overflowing and had clearly not been serviced in a long time. The lack of hygiene and the fact that I couldn’t wash my hands properly due to the lack of soap in the dispensers is absolutely foul! These matters need to be addressed urgently as Tavistock is an upstanding town and these facilities do not reflect the standards represented elsewhere.

‘The Bedford Car Park toilets are usually the first place coach visitors see. Surely the upkeep of these toilets should be a priority — especially for families with young children. Under no circumstances would I want to use them in the state I saw them in. I was horrified — I understand that the council’s budgets may be tight but this should not be tolerated.’

Olivia said she had made an official complaint to West Devon Borough Council (WDBC).

Olivia said she had used the same toilets numerous times before but she had never seen them looking quite so dirty.

She added: ‘I often go into those toilets after school or whenever I am at the park or in Tavistock and I must say that every time I have been in those toilets, they have never been pleasant.

‘The majority of the time there isn’t any soap and when there are others in the toilet there is a queue for the single washing facility; however this visit has to be the worst – I have never seen them in such a state and the council should be ashamed.

‘What sort of service are they providing? There are a limited number of public toilets in Tavistock so you would think they would keep up the maintenance. It’s really put me off going in them again.

‘I spoke to my mum about it and she had the same opinion as me. I asked her if she could get me the contact details for WDBC and that’s when I made the complaint.

‘When I came up with the idea I thought it was important to share my concerns as the council may not be aware of it and as I felt so strongly on the matter she was in full support and praised me for taking the steps to highlight these issues.’

A spokesperson for West Devon Borough Council said: ‘We have been made aware that the public toilets in Bedford Car Park were found in an unhygienic state. When we receive a report, an attendant is sent to check and clean them.

‘All our public toilets are cleaned at least once a day and the busier ones are cleaned twice a day. Sometimes it might be that a toilet needs cleaning sooner that scheduled, if you find this to be the case, please report a problem to us by visiting http://www.westdevon.gov.uk/Report-It or ring customer services on 01822 813600.