Attacks, threats and dead bodies are just some of the things toilet attendants have had to endure.

A former attendant has spoken out about his experience cleaning Brighton and Hove’s public toilets.

Darren Fullard, who worked for cleaning company Wettons, said: “Six years ago I was attacked while cleaning toilets.

“The response from Wettons was to bring up my sexuality, saying I could have tried it on with my attacker.

“I was on pep treatment after the attack, it took six months before I got the all clear.

“My attacker got nine months in prison.

“Another man, who worked for Wettons for 25 years, was assaulted by a street drinker when we were working together at the Pavilion Gardens toilets. I laid into the attacker and sat on him until the police arrived.

“I had a male stalker which I reported to the Wettons and the police, but they did not do anything.

“I also found drug users who had overdosed and sadly I found five people dead.

“Once I tried to resuscitate a 17-year-old girl but she died in my arms.”

Healthmatic took over the contract for cleaning the toilets when the Wettons contract expired in June 2017.

Four of the city’s toilets are fully attended, while the others are visited by cleaners one to four times a day.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, deputy leader of the council, said: “A major and growing problem we must all work together to overcome is the amount of antisocial behaviour that takes place in our public toilets.

“In recent months toilet attendants in some of the city’s loos have been the victims of violence, including one defenceless and terrified attendant being threatened by a drug user holding a needle, who warned, ‘If you try to stop me I’ll stab you in the head’.

“Our attendants are there to keep the toilets clean, not to clear needles or deal with antisocial behaviour. They must be protected.”

Wettons have confirmed that Mr Fullard used to work for them.

The Argus has not received a response from them about his allegations.