Town toilets closed early because of vandals

Since Christmas, the district council-owned toilets, in Browns Lane, Woodstock, have been blocked and damaged at least once a week.

As a result, West Oxfordshire Community Safety Partnership, which is made up of councillors and police, decided they will now close at 6.30pm instead of 8pm.

Pc Gordon Richardson, Woodstock neighbourhood specialist officer, said: “The problems are mainly smoking and people chucking things down the toilet to block them.

“It’s unnecessary vandalism. They are not using the toilets for the purpose they are there for.

“Woodstock is a tourist town but we are having to restrict the times the toilets are open to make sure they’re not used by the people vandalising them.

“Being closed at 6.30pm means that after that time people will have to go somewhere else, like a pub’s toilets or other facilities, which is an inconvenience to the public.

“There’s also the added cost of repairing them.

“It’s not huge but it’s over and above general maintenance.”

Pc Richardson said most of the vandalism occurred on weekdays, after pupils finish school, between 3pm and 6pm.

However, he said it would be impractical to close the toilets at 3pm.

He said: “We don’t want to give in to these people.

“We want to leave the toilets open as long as we can and find out who’s doing this.”

He added: “It’s a place to go, it’s dry and warm and it’s out of the way – that’s why this is happening.

“It’s the younger element of the town.

“It’s totally unnecessary vandalism and a general nuisance.”

Police have spoken to local schools about the problem and community wardens will patrol the toilets.

Pc Richardson said: “I would like to reassure residents and visitors to Woodstock that we will not tolerate this type of behaviour and are determined to catch these offenders.”

Anyone with information about the vandalism shoul call Pc Richardson at Woodstock police station on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.