Station toilets left vicar 'physically nauseated'

The vicar said the toilets offered an "appalling" first impression to Newcastle

A vicar has urged railway bosses to refurbish the "dark, dismal and filthy" toilets at a city centre railway station, after a visit to the facilities left him "physically nauseated".

The Reverend Mark Edwards MBE has called for major improvements at Newcastle Central Station after being left appalled by the condition of the men's toilets sited at platform 12.

The bathrooms, which were originally constructed in the 1890s, were reopened in 2021 following restoration, but Rev Edwards has called for them to be closed again deeming the facilities "wholly inappropriate for public use".

LNER, which manages the station, have confirmed "refurbishment is planned for the listed toilets".

In a letter to LNER managing director David Horne and Network Rail chief executive Sir Andrew Haines, Rev Edwards described the state of the Victorian toilets as "shocking and unhygienic" following a visit to the Newcastle station last week.

The toilets reopened following refurbishment in 2021

The local parish priest wrote: "The toilets are dark, dismal, and filthy, with cracked, stained, and discoloured tiles that appear to have been there since the mid-20th Century."

He added toilet seats were "worn, unsanitary, and wholly inappropriate for public use".

Rev Edwards has called for the station toilets to be closed down immediately.

The vicar said the bathrooms offered an "appalling" first impression of Newcastle to any visitors arriving at the Grade I-listed station.

"The experience was so unpleasant that I felt physically nauseated using them," he said, describing his experience.

A refurbishment of the toilets at Newcastle Central Station is understood to start next year

An LNER spokesperson said: "A historically sensitive refurbishment is planned for the listed toilets at Newcastle, which will improve the facility for customers for years to come.

"In the meantime, we continue to work closely with our cleaning partners to make sure the toilets are clean and available for use."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said it is understood that refurbishment of the toilets is expected to commence in early 2026.

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