A regional daily is demanding a local authority U-turn on the closure of public toilets which the newspaper says has turned a seaside town into an “embarrassment.”

The Bournemouth Echo launched its campaign to reopen toilets in Poole on yesterday’s front page, illustrating its point with a graphic of two figures desperate for the bathroom.

Editor Andy Martin said the Echo had “never had so much reader feedback on a single issue” after being inundated with emails, letters, calls and online comments about the closures.

The Borough of Poole has closed half of the 30 public conveniences under its jurisdiction in a cost-cutting measure.

But, in a front page editorial launching the campaign, Andy said: “The council has been roundly condemned for shutting down many of the public conveniences across the town. We have been inundated with emails, letters, calls and online comments about the issue in the past few weeks.

“In fact, it’s probably fair to say we have never had so much reader feedback on a single issue. On behalf of all these correspondents, local residents and visitors, we urge council leaders to stop this lunacy and reopen the facilities.

“The current state of affairs is a fiasco. It’s an embarrassment to the a town that prides itself on being ‘A Beautiful Place’ and its reputation as a tourist destination. What the thousands of visitors from home and abroad will think when they come for next week’s Maritime Festival is anybody’s guess. It’s time for a rethink.

“People have been reduced to urinating in the streets, in public parks, or as we reported in yesterday’s paper, in gardens in Sandbanks while waiting for the ferry. It’s a ludicrous situation – and signs are still around the town directing members of the public to facilities that are no longer there.”