SHOPPERS in Chippenham have been left baffled by a small cardboard sign telling them the public toilets in the Bath Road car park are closed.

A handwritten cardboard sign, cellotaped to the toilet doors of the men’s, women’s and disabled toilets in the car park has been in place for nearly a month.

The sign merely states that the locked toilets were closed due to “no lights”.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said it is aware of the issue and is working hard to resolve it.

But bus driver Robin Barnett said all three toilets have been out of order for five weeks – with no official explanation.

Mr Barnett, 62, who works in Chippenham six days a week, said: “They have been closed for four weeks, I have emailed and phoned the council in Trowbridge they promised to get back to me but there’s been no response.

“Just say it’s reported on a Monday, it’s a disabled toilet as well, I would expect by Wednesday someone would have been down to fix it.

“If you were to stand and do a body count when they are open there would probably be at least 1000 people every day going in and out of them. They are in a 200 vehicle car park, you have numerous bus stops outside and the National Express stop.

“The signs say closed no lights but I find that hard to believe as right next door is the traffic wardens office and they have it. I imagine they would be on the same circuit.”

The council, which operates the public toilets, are reviewing the way its public convenience service and is looking at the best way to provide such services in the future.

The council does not have a statuary duty to provide public conveniences in its area and is in a consultation period in which it is asking for town and parish councils, or other groups, to take on the cost of operating them.

Chippenham Town Council, which already provides and maintains public toilets in John Coles Park and at the bus station in Timber Street, has registered an interest in taking over toilets in the town but wants more detailed financial information.