HEARTFELT thanks have been extended to council workers forced to clean excrement from toilet walls in a Warwick park.
Warwick District Council described the incident, in which public toilets in St Nicholas Park were blocked and smeared with faeces, on its social media page. Another incident involved the toilets in Leamington’s Victoria Park where a raw chicken was found smashed against a window as well as more deliberate blockages.
Both facilities have been closed to allow specialised cleaning to take place.
WDC neighbourhood services spokeswoman Moira-Ann Grainger said: “The council wants to reiterate how angry and disappointed we are about the behaviour of individuals who choose to deliberately abuse these facilities. During the current lockdown with cafes, restaurants and pubs closed our public toilets provide a vital service for our community in our parks and town centres.
“The toilets are only closed as a last resort when we cannot guarantee the safety of the public. During these covid times the public toilets are getting routine deeper cleans using covid compliant cleaning chemicals. Over the last week or so misuse has increased and as a result we have had to temporarily close two toilet blocks to allow blockages to be cleared and a specialised clean to take place.
“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and respect to the council’s contractors and cleaners who have had to deal with this misuse and anti-social behaviour. These actions have made the difficult job of keeping our facilities safe and clean for the public increasingly challenging and risky.”
She also commended the work of the council’s homeless services team and partners P3 for continuing to ensure accommodation is provided for rough sleepers and those who might use the toilets for refuge.
