CHARGES should be scrapped at public toilets which only make a small profit.

That's the view of Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the Cotswolds, who sits on the district and county councils.

After seeing figures for the number of users and income generated at the public toilets in Bibury and Fairford, he believes the district council should make them free.

In the last financial year, there were 26,942 uses of Bibury, generating £4,725, while Fairford had 6,046 visits, bringing in £1,248.

Northleach, which is smaller than Fairford, has a free public toilet, and was visited 30,387 times last year.

There are also free public toilets in Chipping Campden, Lechlade and Tetbury.

Cllr Hodgkinson wants Cllr Chris Hancock - the cabinet member responsible for public toilets at the Conservative-run council - to guarantee those toilets will remain free after the elections in May.

"The toilets where they are not charging should stay free and where we have small towns and they are charging, they should be free, because there's hardly any money coming in and they are public conveniences," Cllr Hodgkinson said.

Cllr Hancock said it is not possible to say whether the toilets would remain free after the election, as there may be new councillors in charge.

He also pointed out that toilet charges generate around £70,000 a year and help to keep council tax down, and losing some of that money would impact other services.