WEEKEND revellers made use of the county's first pop-up urinal rather than relieving themselves in shop doorways.

The stainless steel structure outside M&Co in King Street is hidden underground during the day but rises up by remote control every evening.

Stroud District Council has spent £45,000 on the Urilift, which has three urinals, which are cleaned via an automatic water spray, and waste pipe.

Lisa Samak, public spaces officer at the council, said shopkeepers have been complaining for years that men are relieving themselves in the street.

"They even urinate through the letter boxes," she said.

"We have been asked many times if we're going to provide a female version but we're concerned men may use it as a sit down.

"Also there is an issue of privacy - there would need to be a door which would make it much more expensive.

"Obviously doing it in public is more of a male problem."

Councillor Nigel Cooper, cabinet member for environment, said the urinal is situated close to the taxi rank because people congregate there at night.

"What they do is quite disgusting," he said.

"Businesses have to clean up the mess every weekend and up until now we have not been able to do anything about it."

Sid Copp, owner of Eclipse in King Street, has been complaining to the council for four years.

"It's a good idea," he said. "But I certainly wouldn't want it outside my shop."

Abbey Chambers, owner of Spuds in the Merrywalks Centre, said using the streets as a toilet causes a health hazard.

"We have to clean up the mess on our doorstep every weekend," she said.

"This will be great if it saves people going in the street."

Stroud is the eighth town in the UK to install a Urilift.