'Disgusting' supermarket toilet closure condemned

Sainsbury's said the toilets were closed due to "ongoing misuse"

A petition has been launched to reopen toilets in a large supermarket after they were closed due to "ongoing misuse".

The toilets at Sainsbury's in Oxford Road, Banbury, have been closed permanently due to vandalism.

But campaigner Sue Leech questioned this and told the BBC that it seemed "more like a cost cutting exercise".

Sainsbury's said the closure had been a "difficult decision" and apologised for any inconvenience it caused.

Ms Leech, from Broughton, has launched a petition calling for the supermarket chain to U-turn on its decision.

"I know a lot of people who are absolutely disgusted that the toilets are closed," she said.

There were "so many people who this will impact", she added.

The closure means the nearest public facilities are almost a 15 minute walk away at Banbury Cross.

When asked what she would like the outcome of her petition to be, Ms Leech said: "They should fully reopen them and look after them because they were never that clean and always looked a bit run down."

In a statement, Sainsbury's said: "Due to ongoing challenges with misuse, we made the difficult decision to close the customer toilets at our Banbury store last month.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and our colleagues continue to direct customers to alternative accessible toilets."

Sainsbury's has closed store toilets across the country recently, with shops in Poole, Bridgnorth and High Wycombe among those affected.

In 2022, the supermarket chain attempted to close the facilities in a Southampton store due to persistent drug use.

Southampton City Council overruled the closure, saying it would "lead to the loss of a vital community benefit".