Should pubs charge non-customers to use toilets?

A pub landlord has started charging non-customers £1 to use his toilet after being slapped with a £400 bill for blockages.

The Boatyard in Shropshire has introduced a £1 charge for non-customers to use the loo after its owner got fed up with people walking in off the street and using his facilities, which he claims was costing on average 46p per flush after electricity, toilet roll and hand soap.

Speaking to the Shropshire Star Kurt Murray, manager of the riverside pub, said he has seen a pair of ladies’ knickers and nappies flushed down the toilet, resulting in two call outs to unblock it and costing the pub £400.

Mr Murray admitted the overuse of their toilets was part of a wider problem which stemmed from a lack of public toilets in town.

He said: “It gets extremely busy so our own customers are frustrated when non-patrons who are just visiting the town are just walking in, forcing our customers to wait. So the owner has put a £1 charge on, covering toilet paper, the flush, the electricity and the hand soap.”

“It may have opened a can of worms, but this is a private business”, he added. “It’s up to the council to make sure there are enough toilets for the public.”

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