IT'S getting harder to spend a penny in Swindon because public toilets across the town are closing.

New figures revealed that the town's public toilets are shutting at a rate of more than one a year.

Six conveniences were closed between 2000 and 2004. The number of public conveniences have fallen from 19 to 13.

The British Toilet Association, a voluntary body campaigning for better facilities in high streets and shopping centres, said the cuts should be reversed.

The state of the nation's lavatories has been revealed in Government figures released by Ministers in John Prescott's department.

Similar-sized towns to Swindon have also been hit by toilet closures. Oxford only has 14 public loos, and Reading, Stroud and Gloucester each only have 11. Now, MPs have launched a parliamentary petition calling upon the "Government to make the provision of public lavatories a statutory duty for local authorities."

The early day motion, tabled by Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron, states: "The provision of public lavatories is a vital public service." The figures include conveniences in shopping arcades as well as in high streets. Vandalism and anti-social behaviour are blamed for the closures, but the BTA says councils are cutting back to save money.

Authorities have also been hit by the Disability Discrimination Act, introduced earlier this year, which means many facilities have to be modified for disabled people.

Catherine Murphy, of the BTA, said: "Local authorities are using excuses such as vandalism, anti-social behaviour and general misuse.

"It is a serious issue if you are in the middle of a town centre and there is no toilet, and it is particularly serious for people who are elderly, ill or with young children."

A spokeswoman for John Prescott's department said: "The provision of public toilets is at the discretion of local authorities."

Mark Hookham Parliamentary correspondent