Public toilets in three of the county's most popular seaside tourist resorts are among the worst in Britain.

The National Tea and Wee survey placed Brighton, Bognor and Rye in a top ten league of shame of the worst public loos.

More than 2,000 over-50s across England, Wales and Scotland - the average age was 67 - were quizzed on their expectations of public toilets.

Brighton and Bognor were labelled as the second and third worst for public toilets in the UK after Blackpool. Rye's public toilets came in seventh.

The biggest bugbears were dirty toilets, no loo paper, wet floors, a flush that didn't work, no soap or towels, broken door handles, having to queue and stainless steel automated wash holes.

According to the survey, six out of ten public toilets were a "dirty health hazard", 32 per cent were "covered in graffiti" and 11 per cent were "frequently surrounded by intimidating individuals".

Only 39 per cent of people said their local public toilets were "well looked after".

However the survey also revealed public toilets in Eastbourne and on Worthing seafront are among the best in the country.

The toilets on Worthing seafront were rated fourth best after famous department stores Harrods, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. Eastbourne's toilets came in seventh place.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We are extremely surprised by this survey.

"Every year Brighton and Hove enters the independently judged Loo of the Year awards, run by the British Toilet Association.

"Last year we won a record 27 awards."

A spokesman for Arun District Council, which is responsible for public toilets in Bognor, said: "We would like to know more about the research methodology used to produce the findings of this survey.

"However, providing a clean and safe community for residents and visitors alike is one of the council's highest priorities and one of our key objectives in this programme is providing better public conveniences even if this might mean fewer of them."

Rother District Council, which is responsible for the toilets in Rye, refused to comment.

Paul Kempsell, assistant director of contract services for Worthing Borough Council, said: "I am delighted Worthing seafront's toilets have been rated so highly. I think at Harrods you have to pay quite a lot of money and I don't think we could start doing that here.

"There would be outcry."

Valery McConnell, editor of Yours magazine, which commissioned the survey, said: "It seems ridiculous we make a huge fuss about unclean conditions in hospitals leading to MRSA - and rightly so - yet put up with disgusting conditions in public toilets that are a serious health hazard to all who use them.

"If men visited loos as often as women have to, they would have become a high-profile issue by now. Luckily for men they don't often have to sit on the seat."

June 25. 2005