CONCERN has been raised about the opening of public toilets across County Durham without proper hand wash facilities.

Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth raised the concern after noticing that half the toilets in Weardale do not have any soap.

Durham County Council have been putting up posters telling users that they should stand two metres apart and wash their hands using the liquid soap provided.

The bars of soap were taken out of many of the toilets but not all have received their liquid soap replacements.

The Northern Echo:

Cllr Shuttleworth said: "All public conveniences should have soap and water provided, it only makes common sense, given the seriousness of the current situation. It is doubly important in the countryside where tourists from afar will be using the facilities.

"Weardale is mostly free of the virus, and we want to keep it that way. To out health advice posters up and not provide soap is just stupid."

The Northern Echo:

Jimmy Bennett, Durham County Council’s Clean and Green Manager, said: “We strive to ensure we provide public toilets and handwashing facilities for residents and visitors alike, including those with disabilities.“We are in the process of ensuring all our public toilets have working soap dispensers and putting up signage to encourage people to wash their hands thoroughly in line with government guidance.

“We have identified some locations which do not have working soap dispensers in the Weardale area and we are rectifying this as a matter of urgency.”