THE gents lavatory on Monmouth Street has something of a reputation amongst Bathonians and, despite its central location, is generally regarded as one to avoid.

Yet despite this, we walked in with an open mind, willing to dismiss such rumours as over-exaggeration, keen instead to view some shiny porcelain and a friendly clerk with hand towel at the ready.

How wrong we were...

Toilet roll award: Absolute zero.

Open: During light hours only, which is probably just as well.

Urinals: One metal tray.

Drying facilities: A rather small, cold air hand dryer.

Bouquet: Okay, it's not walk in and straight out again, but the toilets at Monmouth Street are hardly an inviting place to relieve yourself after a day of taking in the stunning sights of Bath. Many of the actual cubicles were overflowing with tissue paper so you can imagine that this isn't the sort of place you'd want to stick around in.

Cleanliness: Positively disgusting. As said, the toilets were blocked and the floor was wet and every surface seemed to possess an inherent dirtiness. And this wasn't helped by some of the regulars: our reporter witnessed one scruffy fellow banging on the cubicles, obviously looking for someone as two of his associates sat cross legged on the floor of another cubicle. Let's just say they weren't playing cards.

Lighting: Obviously enough for some people.

Decor: Standard B&NES fare: red floors, metal toilets and washing/drying facilities and wooden doors that look like they should house prisoners rather than members of the public.

Worth visiting: No, no and no. They may look inviting, set into the modern Georgian stone of Monmouth Street but these are without doubt some of the worst toilets we have ever set foot in. Positively crawling with menace.