People living in Newtown "need more respect" following a spate of "mindless" vandalism targeting public toilets, the Mayor has said.

Vandals targeted the public toilets in Back Lane car park over the Christmas period which has resulted in the temporary closure of the facilities causing inconvenience for residents and visitors.

Last month, the roller shutters at the Gravel car park toilets were damaged which resulted in the town council highlighting that it faces the challenge of balancing a budget funded by taxpayers with the continuous costs associated with incidents such as vandalism.

Mayor John Byrne said: “We’re doing what we can to promote the town. People living in the town need more respect, it’s for their benefit at the end day. If we increase the preset, we will be slated as a town council; this is something we need to be really mindful. I don’t want to be doom and gloom. Doing all these improvements we need the town’s backing as well.”

County Times: Roller shutters at Gravel car park toilets were damaged in December.Roller shutters at Gravel car park toilets were damaged in December. (Image: Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn Town Council)

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Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn, which maintains the public toilets, said the vandals left all the taps running and stuffed tissue in the plug holes, leading to flooding and triggering an electrical outage that impacted the operation of the taps at the Back Lane car park toilets.

"This act of vandalism not only inconvenienced users but also posed a challenge to the operational functionality of the facilities," the council said.

"The Town Council sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused during this period. Prompt action was taken to rectify the issues and restore full functionality to the public toilets. The necessary repairs and clean-up have been completed, ensuring that the facilities are now fully operational once again.

"The Town Council would like to express gratitude for the patience and understanding of the community whilst the issue was managed. Acts of vandalism can be disheartening, but the Town Council remains committed to maintaining and enhancing public facilities for the benefit of all residents and visitors.

"The Town Council urges residents and visitors to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious or of concern regarding the facilities. Community engagement is crucial in maintaining the safety and security of public spaces. If you observe any unusual activity or have information related to the recent incident, please report it to the Town Council or local authorities."