A FORMER public toilet block left derelict for seven years will be transformed into swish offices within weeks.

The recent flooding and closure of Botley Road had delayed the transformation of the down-at-heel former conveniences in Cripley Road, next to Oxford railway station.

But since the block went on the market, developer Ann Cubby said she had been inundated with offers.

Mrs Cubby, 50, of Drayton, near Abingdon, said she expected a deal to be done by the end of the week - and for the office to be up-and-running "within weeks".

Mrs Cubby paid Oxford City Council about £75,000 for the building, but her plans to turn the toilets into a one-bed flat were turned down.

The council said it wanted a commercial enterprise on the site.

However, Mrs Cubby still expects to double her money on the investment.

She said: "We have had a lot of interest in the site and are showing it to several people this week.

"When Botley Road was closed it was an inconvenience, but we just have a few finishing touches to do and then it will be complete.

"We are quite confident it will be sold by the end of the week.

"It doesn't look like a toilet at all now and I'm really pleased with it.

"It has been difficult because of the size of the property - you could only really have one workman in there at a time and there was only one door."

Mrs Cubby bought the 330sq ft single-storey property after reading about its sale in a newspaper advertisement.

The council closed the toilets for health and safety reasons in 2000 after complaints about repeated vandalism and sexual activity.

The block had stood idle ever since.

Mrs Cubby, her husband and son spent more than £30,000 demolishing the interior walls and installing new windows, better insulation and a pitched roof.

Housing is at a premium in Oxford, and Mrs Cubby was disappointed the city council rejected her plans for a one-bed flat.

Mrs Cubby's husband Henry, who is helping to convert the office, said: "I didn't know I could make such a good job out of a toilet."