OLD Cleeve councillors are making an '11th hour' appeal to try and prevent the toilets at Blue Anchor from closing.

The toilets located opposite the seafront are the only public toilets in the village, but due to a lack of funding West Somerset Council will close them in early 2017 unless another body can be found to take them over.

Old Cleeve Parish Council chairman Geoff Williams said: "The decision to close the public toilets at Blue Anchor in early 2017 has been made by West Somerset Council due to it's budget constraints.

"WSC is willing to negotiate with any party interested in taking on the facility and maintaining the service to the public.

"Old Cleeve Parish Council is regrettably unable to take on the building as it does not have the finances nor resources to refurbish and maintain it and provide the service.

"Confidential negotiations have been taking place for a considerable time between WSC and a third party, however, there has been no reported progress to date.

"If there are any other interested parties that can present a business case to WSC to take over these toilets then there is now little time left and we would encourage an early start to negotiations.

"Old Cleeve Parish Council will be pleased to help and guide any interested party to keep this important facility open."

Parish councillor Margaret Smith added: "We are part of the South West Coast Path and rely on tourism and yet it looks like the only toilets are set to close. The number of people that use these toilets is huge."

Local fisherman Mike Greed, who regularly travels down from Taunton added: "Blue Anchor simply cannot afford to lose its only public loos.

"You get families coming down with their children, you get people walking the coast path, they are just essential.

"The local businesses like the Driftwood Cafe won't be able to pick up the load," he said.

Old Cleeve Parish Council is encouraging locals and visitors to send in comments to its Facebook page in support of keeping the toilets open.