CONCERNS have been raised that standards are slipping at public toilets at the heart of Dunbar.

Attendants previously based in facilities throughout East Lothian were axed more than five years ago.

Rena Keller, a member of Dunbar Community Council, highlighted issues at the toilets on Bayswell Road during the group’s meeting last month.

She said: “In the past, I felt great pride in the toilets here.

“I went in yesterday on my way to Lauderdale Park and two cubicles were closed with a notice they were broken.

“The other two were not flushable, so it was not very pretty.”

'Downwards slide'

The community councillor was keen to report the issue to the relevant party.

She added: “It has been a downwards slide since we stopped having a person there, which was expected to a certain extent.”

Councillor Norman Hampshire, who is leader of East Lothian Council, as well as representing the town on the local authority, urged for the issue, or similar complaints, to be logged with East Lothian Council.

He stressed that financial challenges had forced the cutting of people being based in the toilets.

Mr Hampshire said: “We used to have a full-time warden but cannot afford to have that now.

“Touch wood, we have been quite lucky that there has not been a lot of vandalism.

“Other places have suffered serious vandalism.

“We have been quite lucky here but if there are faults then they need to get them fixed.”