A COUNCIL which has taken on responsibility for public toilets in a town visited by tourists has raised £1,768 towards their maintenance through donations and advertising.

In February, Thirsk Town Council raised its council tax demand by around £8,000 to £115,000 to help cover the costs of improving and running the Millgate toilets, which are seen as a necessity for the town's tourist-based economy.

The authority has revamped the toilets since taking them on from Hambleton District Council last year, and installed an honesty box in the block earlier this year in an attempt to get visitors to contribute towards them.

A meeting of the authority heard visitors had given £1,003 to the donation boxes in a the three-month period after they were installed.

Councillor Mo Penson has given out 57 letters to coach drivers asking them to mention the toilet facilities and for donations from tourists.

Advertising signs in the toilet block raised £765 from March to September.

Members agreed to fund work to work to repair tiling in the men’s toilets.

Councillor Cynthia Hesmondhalgh said she was delighted that the authority’s efforts to generate contributions from tourists had proved successful.