PARISH councillors in Corbridge feel they have no choice but to stump up £2,000 a year to avoid visitors to the village being left cross-legged.

For the community is one of eight across Tynedale singled out to have its public toilets either locked up during the winter months or closed all together.

The proposal by Northumberland County Council follows a review of all 62 public toilet blocks it owns or operates across the county and closures could be implemented as soon as next month.

The county council says the move is aimed at helping make savings required to absorb Government funding cuts and has earmarked toilets in Bellingham, Hexham and Prudhoe for the axe, while others at Allendale, Corbridge, Haltwhistle, Haydon Bridge and Wylam are recommended for winter closures.

But in Corbridge, which attracts thousands of visitors a year who are drawn to its historic sites, independent shops and eateries, parish councillors feel a drastic reduction in opening hours is not an option – particularly as a member of staff has been employed to clean the public conveniences on Princes Street for the last 35 years.

At the latest meeting of the parish council Coun. David Walton said: “Tourists and visitors come to Corbridge all year round. They don’t stop just because it’s winter.

“This is exactly the type of facility they rely upon.”

Coun. Graham Curry added: “It seems stupid that we could be left with a facility standing there that is not going to be used for a good chunk of the year.

“I don’t think we have much choice but to pay to keep them open.”

Chairman Coun. Maurice Hodgson, agreed: “I think it would be totally unwise for us to allow the public conveniences in Corbridge to close over the winter.

“So £2,000 has been allocated from this year’s budget and it seems the parish council will be left to pay to keep the toilets open all year round.”

He added that a county council scheme to pay businesses between £250 and £500 to make their toilet facilities available to the public did not appear to have been rolled out in Corbridge.

A spokesman for Northumberland County Council said the proposals were still under discussion with a decision due to be made at a meeting on October 21.