Beach used as lavatory after facilities close

People living in an idyllic Cornish village are furious that their council closed their only public lavatories, leading tourists to use the beach.

As the summer holiday season begins, traders in Trebarwith Strand fear the move will drive tourists away.

One local said that due to “limited greenery” on the beach, near Tintagel, visitors had resorted to prickly patches of heather and gorse.

Cornwall Council said it was trying to find an answer but a petition calling for a rapid solution has already gathered nearly 2,000 signatures.

Barry Jordan, councillor for Tintagel, said: “People have been using the beach as a toilet and someone had to go down and clean it.”