SHOPPERS and mums with young children should be able to use Winsford town centre’s public toilets again by the end of the summer.

The toilets in the Winsford Cross Shopping Centre have been closed since February because of vandalism, drug-taking and anti-social behaviour.

The closure move has left the town centre without any public toilets and relying on the goodwill of the Asda store nearby in allowing people to use its toilets.

Liberal Democrats on Winsford Town Council, led by Cllr Charlie Parkinson, have been calling for the toilets to be reopened, and their pleas appear to have been answered.

Cllr Parkinson told the Guardian this week that Winsford Cross Development Company has said the toilets would be revamped with a view to them reopening by the end of the summer.

“I received a phone call last Thursday to say they were going to be refurbished,” said Cllr Parkinson.

“The Liberal Democrats have been calling for the toilets to be reopened, and had the support of the rest of the councillors on the town council.

“Winsford Cross Development Company came to speak to the town council about proposals for the regeneration of the town centre, and I said that we needed to have the public toilets reinstated.

“They closed the toilets because of vandalism, and I am delighted that they have listened to what we said, and am really grateful to them, as this has been going on for months.

“I understand that there were quite a few things that were broken in the toilets, and they need to improve the security aspect, possibly with CCTV at the entrance.

“I would also like to thank Asda, which has been very welcoming and deserves a pat on the back for allowing people to use its toilets.

“Although Asda is only a few hundred yards from the closed public toilets it’s a long way if you have a screaming baby or you are elderly or disabled.

“The sooner that they open the reopen the toilets the better, and they told me that it should happen by the end of the summer.”