Three more Isle of Wight Council public toilets have been awarded prestigious Loo of the Year accolades, bringing the Island’s total to five.

Public toilets at South Street, Newport and Ventnor Esplanade have been awarded four star ratings by the British Toilet Association while Brannon Way in Wootton has been awarded three. These award winning loos join Yaverland and Brading which were each awarded four stars last year.

The awards are run independently and promoted by the British Toilet Association. They are designed to encourage the highest possible standards in all types of ‘away from home’ toilets or public toilets.

This year’s Island Loo of the Year Award recipients have each undergone refurbishment work to bring them up to a high standard. Loos are assessed against strict judging criteria, covering both male and female facilities as well as any changing and accessible facilities provided.

The loos were assessed during an unannounced visit by a judge looking at signage, décor and level of maintenance; fixtures and fittings; cleanliness; provision of hygiene equipment such as hand dryers, soap and toilet tissue; air quality; security; accessibility and overall management and customer care.

Cllr Edward Giles, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for the environment and transports said: “The Loo of the Year Awards provide confirmation by an external organisation that these loos are of a very high standard, something we hope is recognised by visitors to the Island as well as those who live here.

“While we realise there is work to do across the whole Island regarding the standard of our public toilets, these awards show that we are making progress in improving facilities.

“We have a large number of public conveniences and work with our contractors to try and ensure high standards of cleanliness in all of them.”