THE managers of the Jubilee Gardens Cafe are furious after the mayor of Minehead said that their toilets would make up for the loss of others at The Carousel.

Valerie and Steve Pickard said they were not consulted about the issue and believe their single cubicle facilities will struggle to cope with the demand during the busy summer season.

"I am furious," Valerie said. "Hoe dare they not consult with us?"

Mrs Pickard said that while the toilets were open to the public currently for a 20p charge, they were built with their customers in mind rather than 'trainloads' of tourists.

"Why should be cleaners for general public toilets?," Mrs Pickard added. "If more people start using it, we will have to clean them more regularly which will add to the costs and we will have to put up the price up to a £1 or something.

"I just don't feel the council has thought this through," she said. "We put a lot of our own money into creating these facilities."

"They have obviously never been down to see it, because otherwise they would know it is a single cubicle."

At Minehead Town Council's most recent meeting, the council agreed to take on three of the town's five public toilets with West Somerset District Council funding due to run out at the end of March.

Mayor of Minehead Cllr Jean Parbrook said: "Five sets of toilets were originally offered to the Town Council, after considerable deliberation by the Toilets Subcommittee it was decided to reject the Carousel block as being in a very bad state of repair and dangerous.

"The Jubilee Gardens Café has recently built new facilities which can be used by the public for a modest cost which will make up for the loss of the Carousel."

However Cllr Parbrook apologised this week saying she had made the statement in good faith and said the Jubilee Cafe did not play a part in the discussions by the toilet sub-committee.

"However as far as I am aware, the toilets are open to the public and the Jubilee Cafe does charge.

"It is up to the Jubilee Cafe if they would like to close the facilities," Cllr Parbrook said.

"It doesn't change the situation with either The Carousel or Warren Road toilets.

"The Carousel toilets are in a very bad state of repair and the Warren Road facilities are built on ground which is subject to covenants owned by Butlins and include a shower and a kiosk."