Public conveniences in west London are being transformed with the introduction of pop-up toilets.

Telescopic urinals are being brought into use in Villiers Street near Embankment Tube Station in an attempt to stop anti-social street urination.

During the day the toilets will be stored beneath the pavement, but at night they are remotely controlled to rise hydraulically and become visible.

Westminster Council says street urination has become a serious problem in central London and it has already installed open-air mobile urinals in the worst-affected areas.

'Tackle menace'

Councillor Judith Warner said: "This disgusting habit is a growing problem and we are determined to try and eradicate it.

"The pop-up loos are a further step in our campaign to tackle this menace and to provide people with an acceptable alternative to this anti-social behaviour."

The stainless steel units, which come from a Dutch idea called UriLift, stand two metres high and are just over one metre in diameter.

Unlike portable urinals, which have to be physically emptied of the waste, the pop-up version is linked to the main sewerage system so it is simply flushed away.

The urinals will be in operation every night between 1900 GMT and 0600 GMT.

Westminster Council is also planning to install a second pop-up toilet in Cambridge Circus, one of the main routes into Soho.