Sir – I applaud Verity Hunt’s pursuit (Letters, November 18) of an acceptable standard in the provision of public toilets in Oxford.

But I cannot agree with her that “Access to public toilets is a basic human right, particularly in towns and cities.”

In recent years, claims in the name of human rights have become confused with hopes for outcomes that somebody fervently wants. (Here in Headington a couple of years back, a plan to install speed humps was delayed because a local resident claimed that a speed hump in front of his property would be an infringement of his human rights.) Let us pursue the provision of decent toilet facilities, but by effective means, and particularly by castigating our elected councillors until they reorder their priorities on our behalf to take account of the convenience and comfort of us, the citizens of Oxford, and of our many visitors.

Can you imagine visiting our twinned city of Grenoble and being told, “Yes, there’s a public toilet 400 metres down that street, but it’s not open very often”?

During the opening hours of the Town Hall, I direct enquirers to its facilities as their lavvie of last resort, and I urge your readers to do the same until the provision of public toilets is improved.

Adrian Williams, Headington