A flush £20,000 has been spent renovating a set of town centre public toilets.

Following years of closure, the facilities near Bouverie Place shopping centre and Folkestone's bus station have now re-opened, meaning shoppers, bus users and all visitors can access them.

Originally part of the shopping centre, the toilets have been taken on by Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) who invested £20,000 repairing and refurbishing them.

The authority has allocated a further £12,000 for future maintenance and upkeep.

The 'ribbon' was officially cut by council leader Cllr David Monk (Con) and Cllr John Collier (Con) yesterday.

Cllr Monk said: "I’m pleased we have returned public toilets to the centre of Folkestone as it’s an important amenity in a convenient location.

"The community has asked for the loos to be brought back into use, and we have worked hard to deliver them for the benefit of all."

The facilities, built in 2007, were closed following repeated vandalism and a water leak.

FHDC announced it was taking on the loos last April - but it has taken nine months for the project to come to light.

Previously complaints have been made about the lack of town centre facilities from market stall holders, with market supervisor Paul Clark suggesting it was the reason for falling footfall.

Mr Clark also said that he is often asked by customers where the nearest public toilets are.

Cllr John Collier, cabinet member for property management and grounds maintenance at FHDC, added: "We’ve spent more than a penny to ensure public toilets are available in the town centre.

"I hope people will respect the investment that has been made by keeping the clean and tidy for everyone to use.

"If residents see others treating the facilities improperly, they should report it to us by visiting folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/report-a-problem."

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