A VISITOR to Bude has complained over the lack of toilets open in the town on Boxing Day.

Joe Reeves, who now lives in Liverpool, was down visiting his parents in Holsworthy for Christmas when they decided to go for a walk with his sister and nephew.

Having parked up in a busy Summerleaze beach car park, which they had to pay for, Joe was left ‘disgusted’ with the fact that anyone needing the toilet would have to go into town.

He said: “It wasn’t very nice at all that there wasn’t anywhere around the beach to go toilet, especially as it was packed. The coffee shop by Crooklets beach was also busy and everywhere was just rammed. They must know that it’s Boxing Day and everyone comes to the beach and goes for a walk — where did they expect all the visitors to Bude who bring in revenue to the town and keep businesses and people in jobs through the winter period to use the amenities?”

Joe also felt sorry for a café in the town, and his dad, adding: “As you get older you need to go to the toilet and it was a bit embarrassing for my dad while I also felt sorry for Costa as lots of people were coming in just for that. There were queues of at least five!”

Joe was also left bemused as to why the town public toilets were closed but the ones at Widemouth weren’t.

He added: “We also went down to Crooklets to have a look and the toilets there were closed. However, we later went to Widemouth and they were open so I don’t understand why they’re open and the ones in town aren’t! I don’t see how there can be security issues there and not at Widemouth. Someone’s obviously opened the Widemouth ones, so why not at Crooklets or at Summerleaze?

“I hope next year that they are open, it’s a basic amenity and what makes it more annoying is that we still had to pay for the car park.”

Peter Moores, mayor of Bude-Stratton Town Council, told the Post: “The council has received a complaint regarding the closure of the public toilets on Boxing Day. It is regretted that for operational reasons that this was the case. Council staff did work on Christmas Day to facilitate the Crooklets Beach swim, but due to logistical reasons, we were not able to leave any of our public toilets open without appropriate cover on Boxing Day. The council will review the matter to improve future arrangements.

“Crooklets Beach car park is owned and operated by Cornwall Council. Bude-Stratton Town Council had nominated Saturday,?December 16 as the free parking day in order to support local traders pre-Christmas. The toilets at Widemouth Bay are operated by Poundstock Parish Council who had nominated to Cornwall Council that Boxing Day should be the free parking day at Widemouth Bay car park.”