ONLINE petitions have been launched in a bid to prevent the demolition of public toilets at two places on the New Forest coastline.

Proposals to bulldoze the toilets at Calshot and Barton on Sea have been drawn up by the district council, which shut the conveniences at the start of the pandemic.

Beach hut owners are calling for the demolition plan to be scrapped and the facilities reopened instead.

They say people prevented from using the toilets are using the beach instead.

Now two separate petitions have been launched in a bid to save the conveniences - and have already been signed by hundreds of people.

The Barton petition says: "The recent report to the council failed to mention that the nearest (alternative) toilets are at the top of a very steep hill, a hill that is too steep for some people to walk up several times a day.

"This could mean they are forced to stop using the beach for this very real and pragmatic reason."

The petition says visitors to the area are urinating on the beach as well as leaving dirty nappies and other rubbish.

It adds: "As the weather warms up, this is very likely to get worse. Numbers are likely to swell further as a result of increased holidaying in the UK. Not only is this unpleasant for beach users but a very real health hazard."

The Calshot petition says the toilets have been closed since March last year.

It adds: "That decision resulted in the public health issues of a small minority of beach users urinating around and on beach huts.

"Concern about public health was the reason quoted in government guidance to councils about the reopening of public toilets - not heeded in this case.

"NFDC states there is another public convenience 660 metres away and claims there is easy access via walking or parking.

"While that may just about be true on a dull, cool day in February it certainly is not so on a busy, sunny day in summer.

"A walk along the busy, narrow road, which has no pavement, is not a safe option for many."

A council spokesperson said: "Following the first lockdown we risk assessed all of our 23 public toilets.

"We have managed in a phased way to open 21 of these toilets by putting in mitigations measures such as increased cleaning frequencies, screens and signage.

"Two cannot be opened in a Covid-safe way and we have asked for a task and finish group to look at the options available."