A Greenwich personality was shocked when he found a man "laying a turd" in his front garden.

Robert Gray, of Alfege Passage, was alerted to the grim situation by his cleaning lady, Coral, last Friday morning (October 30).

The 59-year-old told News Shopper: "Coral, my poor cleaner, arrived at around 9 o'clock.

"She said 'there's a man in your garden bending over looking at the doorstep' - so I opened the door and there he was in the squatting position.

"First of all I thought 'what on earth is he doing?'

"I would have got a photo of him on my phone but he ran away. I have never seen anyone run off so quickly.

"I guess if you were caught with your jeans around your ankles you would be quite shocked.

"Poor Coral, I had to give her a valium and a scotch - it is not a very nice thing to happen to anyone."

Mr Gray, who runs a B&B at the property, described the man as in his 40s and wearing a yellow high vis jacket. He added he had also brought his own loo paper.

After the man fled, leaving his faeces behind, Mr Gray searched the area for him, but could not locate him.

The actor and presenter of The Greenwich Show added: "It's a little garden full of plants.

"I suppose he was doing it because it is quite sheltered really.

"But you'd think a man of his age would be potty trained.

"It's Halloween on Saturday and because I'm quite well known around here a lot of kids come to my house, so I had to give it a good scrub - we couldn't have them falling into a turd."

Mr Gray said there is a worrying lack of public toilets in the heart of Greenwich, with ones in nearby St Alfege Park recently closing due to complaints over "cottaging".

He said: "It was closed down because there was a lot of cottaging - there were complaints of gay guys playing with themselves.

"I am gay myself, but it is rather sad that we all have to suffer because of these gay guys cottaging.

"The serious point is Greenwich is very poorly served for loos.

"There is only one public loo I can think of in the whole of the middle of Greenwich.

"People have knocked on my door to ask to use the loo - I'd rather they do that than laying a turd in my garden.

"It's horrible."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "There is no excuse for this kind of behaviour.

"There are plenty of toilets available in Greenwich town centre during tourist hours, for visitors to the National Maritime Museum, Old Royal Naval College, Discover Greenwich and Planetarium, plus the Royal Observatory and Fan Museum.

"Outside visitor hours Greenwich is well provided for in the excellent choice of pubs and restaurants, plus the public toilets in King William Walk."

The public toilet problem

Mr Gray isn't the first south-east London resident to get up in arms over a lack of public toilets.

Earlier this year Beckenham residents reacted with anger at Bromley Council's decision to close public toilets.

News Shopper also previously reported on "disgusting" footage of a man appearing to do a poo at a Blackheath bus stop.

Meanwhile, there was uproar on social media last month when a woman was spotted urinating in Parry Place, Woolwich.