Disabled toilets shut for months over vandalism

A specialist toilet for people with severe disabilities has been closed for about eight months due to repeated anti-social behaviour.

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said incidents at the Changing Places facility in the Lower Gardens, Bournemouth, included drug use, rough sleeping and damage to equipment.

The authority said it was installing a video intercom system to control access and hoped the site, which was closed in August, would reopen "within the coming weeks".

Campaigners said accessible toilets are "essential, not optional" and that their closure could mean some disabled people are "unable to visit public spaces".

Changing Places toilets are designed for people with complex disabilities who cannot use standard accessible toilets.

Facilities typically include hoists, adult changing benches and space for carers.

More than 250,000 people in the UK rely on Changing Places toilets to access public spaces, according to the campaign.

A council spokesperson said the site had been "prone to anti-social behaviour and vandalism", with incidents causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

They said: "BCP Council has therefore taken the difficult decision to keep the facility closed while alternative, more secure access arrangements are reviewed.

"The previous Radar key access system has been removed because it was no longer suitable for the site."

The council said a standard disabled toilet in the Lower Gardens remains open, and pointed users to a national map of alternative Changing Places facilities.

The nearest listed site is at the Marsham Court Hotel on Russell Cotes Road.

Jenny Miller is the chief executive of PAMIS, a disability charity that co-chairs the Changing Places campaign.

She said: "These facilities are essential, not optional, and without them many disabled people are unable to visit public spaces.

"While we recognise the challenges BCP Council has faced with anti‑social behaviour and damage to the facility, we urge the council to prioritise reopening the toilet as soon as possible and to keep the disabled community informed.

"This will enable people to continue to enjoy Bournemouth with dignity and confidence."