A GROWING number of signatures are backing a second petition to re-open public loos in Tendring.

Secretary of Tendring Pensioners Action Group (TenPAG) Sheila Hammond wants Tendring Council to reverse its decisions and re-open toilets with new ones fit for purpose.

It is understood there are four public toilets in Clacton, including the seafront and Rosemary Road, while across the whole of Tendring, the number has been cut from 40 to 31.

The petition, organised by TenPAG as a community branch of Unite, will be delivered to the council once it has 1,000 backers.

Ms Hammond said: “We feel quite strongly about this. A lot of our members are elderly, have different health conditions, and there are lots of vulnerable people with disabilities.

“They should be able to access public toilets when they need it.

“Even for young people being in that situation can be quite traumatic. “My mobility is compromised so it’s a struggle for me to get into places, and it would put me off going somewhere if I knew I wouldn’t be able to get to a toilet.”

The last petition Ms Hammond filed gained about 1,300 signatures, but was axed by the council because it was deemed incorrect, she says, along with two others by different campaigners in Jaywick and Walton.

As well as elderly and unwell people, the campaign sympathises with mobile workers too.

“Tending Council say it’s not under any legal obligation to provide toilets, which we understand, but at the same time, they must’ve felt it needed that many toilets before and now the population of Clacton is growing.”

“Some people say businesses will open their toilets to the public but actually, because businesses know public toilets are being closed down, they’re putting up notices to say they’re for customers only.

“I suppose they’re worried there will be hordes of people asking to use the toilet when an event like Clacton Air Show is on.”

A spokesman for Tendring Council explained three specialist disabled changing and toilet facilities have been built, and the remaining loos are set to be refurbished.

He added: “Those which were closed were either under-used, in old buildings and not cost-effective to maintain, in locations no longer appropriate, or subject to antisocial behaviour.”

If the petition gets more than 250 signatures, it will end up being presented to the full council.

Sign it here.