Lake public toilets set alight and closed

Lake public toilets have been set alight and closed by the parish council. 

The fire was started when a towel holder was burnt, filling the toilets with smoke – the parish council understands the fire was set on purpose.

Firefighters went to the incident at Cliff Gardens in Sandown Road on Monday afternoon (October 1) and extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes.

Lake Parish Clerk, Mike Taplin said: “This isn’t the first time it’s happened. I’ve just attended and closed the toilets at Lake Cliff Gardens because a towel holder has been set alight. From the parish point of view, this is all public money that is going to come at the cost of the precept payers.”

The clerk pointed out that the New Road toilet fires in August cost the tax payer £650 but on that occasion a pallet had been dragged in and set alight so the damage was far worse.