Spend a penny? Bridgend public toilets sell for £61k

The toilet block in Bridgend is the latest public convenience to go under the hammer in recent years

Buyers had to spend more than a penny to snap up this Victorian toilet block.

Public toilets in Bridgend were put up for auction by the local council in the hope the building could be re-developed and brought back to life.

The block, in Derwen Road, has been closed for years but sold on Sunday for £61,000 - more than twice the guide price.

Auctioneers Paul Fosh said it was one of the most "unusual" lots it had handled.

Bridgend council is the latest authority to put disused public toilets under the hammer in a bid to raise funds and turn derelict buildings into businesses.

Across Wales, a number of former toilet blocks have been given a new lease of life as cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.

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One in Rhondda county has been turned into a miniature home while another disused block in Newport is now a tiny theatre.

In 2017, a former convenience block was sold in Merthyr Tydfil for £37,000 - six times the asking price.

"Local authorities have found that the upkeep of these old buildings can be a drain," said Mr Fosh.

"They go for far more than you would ever imagine but there was phenomenal interest in this particular sale.

"As toilets blocks go, it was very attractive."