A real sit-down protest! Middle-class demonstrator 'occupies' toilet block in bid to stop council closing it

Lin Patterson, 67, is angry at proposals to shut loos across Bath

Pensioner has moved into a cubicle and sleeps on its floor in a sleeping bag



Decision to shut them will hurt vulnerable who need them, she says

Councillors have asked if she is willing to clean and open them each day



A middle-class pensioner has taken squatting to new heights by 'occupying' a public toilet block to prevent its closure.



Campaigner Lin Patterson, 67, has taken up residence in one of the cubicles of Larkhall public loos in Bath with a sleeping bag, food and water.



She is furious at plans by Bath and North East Somerset Council to close several public toilets across the area.



Ms Patterson believes it is a cost-cutting exercise which hits the most vulnerable in society such as the elderly and disabled.

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Sit-down protest: Linn Patterson, 67, is occupying these toilets in Twerton, Bath, Somerset, to stop the council closing them down

She said: 'These closures are unnecessary, unreasonable and unwanted by the people.



'The priorities are wrong nationally and locally, with huge capital budgets for massive projects that primarily serve vested interests.

'I start with local toilets, which serve one of our most basic human needs, where closure hurts the most vulnerable, elderly, women, children and disabled people.'

Ms Patterson has previously been a member of the Save the Larkhall Loo campaign which successfully fought off the closure of toilets near her home in Larkhall, Bath.



She set up an online petition to save toilets earmarked for closure, including Combe Down, Peasedown St John, and Twerton.



Bedtime: Linn has taken her sleeping bag and other supplies she needs to make her toilet cubicle comfortable to sleep in

Upset: The 67-year-old is unhappy that Bath and North East Somerset Council has earmarked a number of public toilets for closure in order to save money

Armed with her camping equipment, she moved into Twerton loos on Wednesday - the day they were due to close - and intended to stay for three nights.



But her one-woman protest has attracted so much local support that she has vowed to continue.



A number of local residents have turned out to support her, waving banners reading 'Twerton needs loos' and 'Refuse to lose our loos'.



She said: 'I am occupying these toilets for three reasons.



'There was some good campaigning by Twerton people to keep the toilets open, with a petition of 97 signatures handed in and another petition of at least 50 signatures gathered, but many people in Twerton still do not know our toilets are closing, and we need to know and mobilise.



'The second reason is that although I have been campaigning to save the Larkhall toilets, people need all these facilities.



'We are stronger if we work together, so this widens and intensifies the campaign.



'The third reason is to put this in the context of cuts that are unnecessary, unreasonable and unwanted by people who can vote.'

Row: Councillors have not been entirely sympathetic to her protest, asking her if who would be willing to clean and open them every day for free

In an open letter to B&NES Council deputy leader Councillor David Dixon, the Save the Larkhall Loo campaign sets out the reasons for keeping the facilities open.



It states that one in five people suffer with a variety of urinary or bowel problems who need convenient, accessible toilets, and that closing them would damage local shopping areas as people will stop using them.



But Councillor Dixon was unsympathetic to the occupation, saying it was necessary to save £120,000 a year.



He wrote on Facebook: 'Seriously, you are occupying some loos. They will start to smell after a few weeks.



'If you fancy cleaning them, opening and locking up each day, that would be great. Enjoy!



'The petition is rather pointless. We have prioritised loos where people stay for longer periods of time such as play areas, those will be kept in better condition too moving forward.

