Adam Trimingham raised a most important topic concerning the availability of public toilets (The Argus, April 15).

Looking for a loo when in desperate need can be a stressful experience and coming across locked ones is a sad sight. They may have been closed because they were used for purposes not originally intended and hence made unfit for others.

Is there any way that a system of “guardians” or a frequent 24-hour patrol could be developed? Or is this an expense too far?

The toilets at the corner of Upper Rock Gardens and Upper St James’s Street are needed in this area of town, especially by older people, pregnant women, young children and visitors coming up from the sea front or from town via St James’s Street.

The toilets are needed both during the day and at night. Their closure has meant that St Mary’s Place, the passage next to the church or the nearby bushes are used as an alternative. The smell of urine hangs around and adds to the impression of a run-down community. This is not a fair assessment and this area deserves proper facilities. Open, clean toilets show someone cares.

Margaret Green, West Drive, Brighton