LATE-night revellers in Stroud will be relieved to know they could soon be making use of a pop-up urinal.

District councillors say they are willing to splash-out £27,000 on the 1.5m high retractable toilet, which is likely to be installed in March.

The three-stalled urinal will be used by men who find themselves caught short at night.

It will be raised from the pavement in King's Parade by the HSBC bank via remote control each evening.

The idea has been in the pipeline for some time.

Lisa Samak, technical contracts officer at Stroud District Council, said: "It is very modern and we do have a problem with this kind of anti-social behaviour."

Pub-goers who urinate in Stroud centre are a growing menace and traders are particularly concerned about it, especially in the Merrywalks entrance.

Police have recently started issuing on-the-spot-fines to anyone found fouling the streets.

Most traders are supporting the move and if successful the council could look at installing a female loo.

Unlike the men's version this would be more private.

So-called pissoirs are common in France but they have sprouted up in many UK towns and cities recently, including Bristol and Reading, mainly to deal with the inevitable consequences of binge drinking.

Stroud town centre manager Vicky Hancock is backing the idea.

"They are very simple so not much can go wrong, they will be out of sight in the day and they don't smell," she said.

Nigel Messenger, chairman of Stroud Chamber of Trade, said it was needed as the town's night-time economy grows.

"It is a fact that where you have a growing night-time economy you need more provision," he said.

Sid Copp, who owns the Eclipse clothing store in the Merrywalks entrance, said: "If it stops them urinating down the side of my shop then I am totally behind it."