A COMMUNITY toilet scheme in Saltash has been officially launched.

The town is the first in the county to allow shoppers to pop into their local pub to spend a penny.

The Brunel Inn and the Railway Hotel have been opening their facilities to the public in a bid to replace public conveniences closed by Caradon District Council.

Signs have been placed around the town to highlight the new scheme. Cllr Joe Ellison, chair of civic amenities, said: "This was an idea by Cllr Peter Clements. In recent years, Caradon District Council has closed several public toilets around Saltash, and realistically, there is no prospect of building new facilities in the foreseeable future. Therefore Saltash has shamelessly copied a pioneering initiative which is successfully operating in Richmond-on-Thames to bring some relief for shoppers in our town centre."

The official launch of the scheme took place in the Brunel Inn last Thursday.