Shoppers left dying to go

In fact the situation is now so bad that anyone needing the toilet has to spend 50 pennies.

The inconvenience of Farnworth's lack of public toilets has reached new heights and traders, armed with a petition comprising 1,000 names, are demanding action.

As revealed in the BEN, customers and traders are furious that public toilets were taken down and a superloo put in their place as part of the town centre improvements.

Mothers with children in trolleys or prams and disabled people in wheelchairs are immediately prevented from using the superloo due to a lack of space.

Others, particularly elderly people, have expressed their worry about using the toilet which not only charges them, but throws them into darkness once an allotted time is up.

As a result shoppers have been nipping into Asda to make use of their toilets.

Demand grew so much that the cleaner who had been employed to maintain the toilets every hour, had had to increase duties to every 15 minutes.

Vandals also attacked the toilets and two fires were started.

As a result Asda bosses have had to take action. Anyone who wants to use the store's toilets has to purchase a 50p voucher, redeemable in the store.

The situation has heightened the town's problems, and this week members of the Farnworth Traders' Association urged the council to take action.

Butcher, Jack Morris, chairman, said: "I saw an elderly woman in distress in the town centre. She could not use the superloo and was desperate. I let her use my toilet because there was just no other option for her.

"It is happening so often. People do not want to face the dilemma of being caught short while they are out shopping, so they will go elsewhere.

"We know it is difficult because toilets do get vandalised, but these we now have here are an apology for a toilet. No one wants to use them. We are still getting dozens of complaints"

Deputy chairman, Michael Epifaniou, owner of Birch's Cafe, said: "It is so frustrating because the town did have toilets and the council went to the expense of knocking them down. Now we are fighting to get them back again. We realise what we had before needed modernising, but surely it would have been worth it." The petition traders have collected from customers calls for toilets to be built in the town, and also for improvements to parking. A copy has been sent to MP Brian Iddon and to the council's director of environent, Mr Ray Jefferson.

Mr Morris said: "There is insufficient parking space and we have put forward viable options. First, there is the land where Blighties night club used to stand. That surely could be converted into a car park.

"One third of the market is barely used, particularly the end nearest King Street. Why could that not be used for parking?

"Stalls could be pushed up. Land at the back of Asda is lying unused and that could be an overspill when there is an extra demand for stalls." Compromise has, however, been reached over the parking on Market Street, Farnworth. Councillors have bowed to the pressure from traders angry at extra restrictions being imposed.

Parking will remain available on either side of the street on alternate days, but some restrictions will be imposed.

Traders' suggestion to help the flow of buses through Farnworth station is also being considered.

Mr Epifaniou explained: "Congestion was being caused on King Street. The island on the bus station needs cutting down because as it stands it is too broad to allow buses to pass through when others are parked up at their stops. As a consequence, bus drivers avoid stopping in Farnworth town centre."

Mr Morris added: "To be fair, the council officers have listened to us and reached a compromise on some things. But our main gripe remains the toilets."

One shopper affected by the toilet situation told the BEN: "I was shopping in Farnworth with my mother who is 80. She was desperate for the toilet and would not go in the superloo.

"But when we got to Asda we were told about the voucher system. It was chaos.

"All town centres should have toilets, especially for the elderly."

Cllr Noel Spencer said the council was looking at a couple of options. He said: "We are looking at the possibility of the Passenger Transport Authority helping us out."

And he added: "The good news is that the proposed changes to parking on the Market Street area will not be going ahead very largely due to the request of market traders."