ALL eight of Chester’s automatic toilets are being removed because it costs £12.58 every time somebody uses them.

The former Chester City Council invested heavily in the superloos so people could pay a visit after dark when the public toilets are closed.

But the toilets, sometimes compared to Doctor Who’s Tardis, cost customers 30p a go and most are used fewer than three times a day.

Figures from Cheshire West and Chester Council show the contract offers ‘poor value’ because it costs £240,000 a year, yet the eight toilets are only used by 14,000 people a year.

This compares with 90,000 people who used the revamped Frodsham Street toilets, which are free of charge, in the first four months of operation.

Members of the disabled community are upset at not being consulted over the move because wheelchair users can access the larger superloos in Princess Street and Foregate Street 24 hours a day.

However, the Frodsham Street toilets, which include an expensive ‘changing places’ toilet for people with profound disabilities and their carers, are also available around the clock.

Keith Roper, general manager of the DIAL House disability support service, said: “I have just attended a meeting where people were saying changes are being driven by the need to save money rather than people’s needs and this is potentially another example. Importantly, people should be consulted on any changes that are likely to have an impact on their lives.

“Some people plan their whole day by the availability of the loo.”

Reducing 24-hour provision could also impact the council’s desire to clamp down on disgusting revellers who urinate in the streets.

But the council points out that a community toilet scheme means several businesses, including Tesco in Frodsham Street, allow members of the public to use their facilities.

It is costing CWaC £287,000 to terminate the contract on the toilets which will start disappearing between 2014-2016.

Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said: “We have decided to terminate the contract because the usage is not enough to warrant spending that amount of taxpayers’ money.”

She pointed out that with the exception of Foregate Street and Princess Street the automatic loos are used fewer than three times a day on average. Foregate Street is used three times a day and Princess Street eight times a day.