Toilets have reopened in all Southwark parks, writes Kit Heren…
The council said in a Twitter post: “Our park toilets are now open, but please follow social distancing rules and pay attention to signs and guidance.
“Park toilets will be closed for cleaning several times a day, so you may need to wait.”
The park toilets were closed for safety reasons during the lockdown. Residents have complained of finding human urine and even excrement in bushes around the borough’s green spaces, with people visiting parks apparently finding themselves caught short.
Locals appeared to welcome the news.
The Southwark Park association 1869 said: “As any parks group we are really glad that the toilets have reopened recently, especially as people were defecating in the park which is not just unsightly but a heath hazard to park users young and old alike during this unprecedented time.
“What we ask is the public uses the toilets properly and respectively and the council makes sure they are kept regularly cleaned during this… outbreak at all times.”
Southwark Council told the News earlier in June that a combination of easing restrictions on movement, hot weather, bank holidays, and gym closures had led to the number of park goers surging by around 30 per cent.