NORTH Wiltshire MP James gray has joined the campaign to keep public toilets open in north Wiltshire.

North Wiltshire District Council is considering selling or closing public toilets in Colerne, Box, Biddestone and Lyneham.

Some parish and town councils have been offered the freehold of the lavatories by the council, but Mr Gray says they do not have the resources to maintain the facilities.

Mr Gray, said: "I have asked the council to reconsider this decision, and I hope that many others will do likewise." Writing to council leader Cllr Carol O'Gorman, he says: "I really do feel that the provision of public lavatories in rural areas as well as in market towns should be the responsibility of the district council."

A task group of Cllrs Allen, Elford and Philips is studying the issue.

Nearby Kennet District Council has recently given up running public toilets and passed the responsibility on to the parish councils, which has put an extra £9 a year on people's council tax bills.