PLANS to close 23 public toilets on the Yorkshire coast and in the North York Moors National Park have been delayed.

Scarborough Borough Council's cabinet has called for a detailed report on how many people use the toilets and what the running costs are, before any final decisions are made.

Councillor Dorothy Clegg said it was vital that the public toilet in Church Street, Whitby, was retained because it was used extensively by anglers, who arrived in the early hours of the morning for sea fishing trips. She said: "Charter angling boats are vital to Whitby's economy and with them are the many hundreds of anglers from all parts of Yorkshire and beyond who come, time and time again, to enjoy fishing trips at sea."

Coun Herbert Tindall, vice-chairman of the national park, said keeping toilets open in remote villages in the park was crucial because of the growing number of tourists especially walkers, resulting from the new Countryside Rights of Way Act, which had led to the opening of miles of pathways to the public.