IT seems the phrase “spending a penny” has been dramatically overtaken by inflation in Oxford.

Many people will welcome the news that a long-awaited revamp of Oxford’s public toilets is back on the cards – even if it does cost a whopping £420,000.

But what will rankle is the idea of a 50p charge to use the loos at Gloucester Green.

The idea of a small charge makes some sense – to put off those who may not treat the toilets with the respect they deserve.

But 50p seems a massive step up from the token charge required to achieve this goal, particularly when you consider it will likely hit pensioners the hardest.

Bizarrely, the community toilets scheme, which the city council has been quick to promote, offers the use of shop and restaurant toilets for free.

So it seems odd that using the city council loos may entail a relatively hefty charge.

It will only make the so-called public conveniences a lot less convenient for many cash-strapped shoppers.