MANDATORY CREDIT: Agnese Sanvito/Rex Shutterstock. Only for use in this story. Editorial Use Only. No stock, books, advertising or merchandising without photographer's permissionnMandatory Credit: Photo by Agnese Sanvito/REX/Shutterstock (5611286c)nRosebery AvenuenPhotographer document Victorian public toilets, London, Britain - Feb 2016nFULL COPY: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/s383nnA photographer has created a fascinating picture project - by shooting toilets.nnAgnese Sanvito decided to capture the unusual elegance of London's Victorian conveniences.nnHer work depicts the street-level lavatory entrances, which would lead down to the subterraean toilets.nnShe found that many were in an abandoned state; locked shut, overgrown with weeds or filled with rubbish. While at least one had taken on a new life as an underground bar.nnArchitectural photographer Agnese shot the toilets at dawn, often cycling across London to photograph them.nn"In 2010 I started noticing the elegant structures of Victorian public toilets across London, where I live. These once proud and eccentric symbols of English civilisation have since fallen into closure and blended into the background fabric of the city."nn
You have to travel a long way to spend a penny these days. (Picture: Agnese Sanvito/REX/Shutterstock)

We think we can all be agreed the existence of a handily placed public toilet is nothing but useful, which makes the following particularly bad news.

Public toilets have been closing in their hundreds in the last decade. Quite literally. So much so that some councils don’t even run them any more.

thumbnail for post ID 5915428 Hang on, is there an absolutely massive hole in this cat?

According to an FOI from the BBC, at least 1,782 facilities have closed across the UK in the last decade.

Councils in the likes of Newcastle, Merthyr Tydfil and Wandsworth don’t actually run any faculties.

Tightening budgets have been blamed for the closures rather than a desire from councils to see them close.

MANDATORY CREDIT: Agnese Sanvito/Rex Shutterstock. Only for use in this story. Editorial Use Only. No stock, books, advertising or merchandising without photographer's permissionnMandatory Credit: Photo by Agnese Sanvito/REX/Shutterstock (5611286f)nSpitalfieldsnPhotographer document Victorian public toilets, London, Britain - Feb 2016nFULL COPY: http://www.rexfeatures.com/nanolink/s383nnA photographer has created a fascinating picture project - by shooting toilets.nnAgnese Sanvito decided to capture the unusual elegance of London's Victorian conveniences.nnHer work depicts the street-level lavatory entrances, which would lead down to the subterraean toilets.nnShe found that many were in an abandoned state; locked shut, overgrown with weeds or filled with rubbish. While at least one had taken on a new life as an underground bar.nnArchitectural photographer Agnese shot the toilets at dawn, often cycling across London to photograph them.nn"In 2010 I started noticing the elegant structures of Victorian public toilets across London, where I live. These once proud and eccentric symbols of English civilisation have since fallen into closure and blended into the background fabric of the city."nn
Councils the likes of Newcastle, Merthyr Tydfil and Wandsworth don’t actually run any faculties. (Picture: Agnese Sanvito/Rex Shutterstock)

But Raymond Martin of the British Toilet Association told the BBC the provision of public facilities was about health, wellbeing, equality and social inclusion.

‘It’s also about public decency and public dignity – we don’t want people being forced to urinate in the streets,’ he added.

What is happening to the closed toilets?

Although some have been demolished others have a variety of different uses.

You can buy a glass of wine in a bar, get your dog groomed, go to a nightclub, eat noodles or view art.

Off the 331 councils that responded to BBC Breakfast, 22 now only have one public toilet, with the best served areas in tourist destinations.

For instance, the Highland Council has 127 public toilets but spends £1 million on maintenance.

The LGA told the BBC that councils were trying to think differently to keep public toilets open.

Ideas include running community toilet schemes, restaurants and shops to make their toilets public.

‘Cuts meant councils had less to spend on community services and the next few years would continue to be a challenge’, a spokesman said.

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