THE only people to blame for the drug use taking place in public toilets in Gloucestershire is those who choose to inject or snort the illegal substances.

While the mum who found heroin-taking paraphernalia in public toilets in Stroud was understandably shocked and disgusted, it would be unfair to blame the district council.

After all, what more can the council do? They installed a sharps bin on the outside wall, monitor the CCTV in the area, have neighbourhood wardens patrol the street along with police, and have the toilets cleaned twice a day.

Other than having bouncers on the door 24/7 (unaffordable to any council) or putting the price of using the loos up so high that addicts can’t afford to get in (unfair on everyone else), the only way the council could stop drug use in the toilets altogether would be to close them – as they were forced to do last summer – and that, again, would be unfair on the majority of the general public who use the facilities.

So, let’s not blame the council. If addicts want to take drugs in public, they will.