Wallingford wants better public lavatories but the town council does not want to take over running them.

At present they are owned by South Oxfordshire District Council and some of them are horrendous, a town council meeting was told.

Member Adrian Payne said plans to move one set from St Alban's car park to Goldsmiths Lane should be opposed because that car park will soon be under the jurisdiction of Waitrose when the new development takes place. That would mean they might not be available once the car park was closed.

He said he was very concerned that they should not be moved on to private land.

Member Betty Atkins said the Riverside Park lavatories were "an absolute disgrace, horr- endous".

She said they should be refurbished because the Riverside Park was used by lots of local families as well as tourists and campers.

Town clerk Andrew Rogers said: "Public lavatories are a black hole swallowing money.

"The refurbishment of the Cattle Market lavatories cost £62,000.

"This is just too much for any town council to take over."

The town council is to discuss possible sites for public lavatories.