The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to assist community groups and local councils in the operating and maintaining of ‘essential’ public facilities.

According to the Old People’s Commissioner, concerns over toilet access can act as a “loo leash”, discouraging people, such as those with health conditions, from leaving their homes.

Party leader and Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds used the example of Rhayader town council who, after taking over the operation of public toilets along the A44 and A470 in 2015, have been struggling to keep up with financing these amenities due to a lack of funding support.

Ms Dodds said: “The pressure placed on small communities to maintain access to these basic amenities is immense, towns and villages consisting of a few thousand are being asked to fund facilities used by millions each year.

“The reality is public toilets are essential pieces of infrastructure, not simply for the millions of tourists that visit Wales, but also for the local population.

“We call on the Welsh Government to step in and support councils and community groups in operating and maintenance of public toilets, to ensure that the people of Wales have access to these much-needed facilities.”