Public toilets in a town center are being charged to deter drug users and anti-social behaviour.

The Moore Street toilets in Redcar, Teesside, are close to the esplanade overlooking the beach and are especially used during the summer.

Following a rise in anti-social behavior and vandalism in recent years, Labour-led Redcar and Cleveland Council is installing barriers and a 30p entry charge.

Conservative councilor Carolyn Curr said the move was “not ideal” but accepted the authority needed to do something to make the toilets safe.

The council has tried other methods to control the problem, including hiring a security guard during the summer months.

But the authority’s cabinet agreed that this was not sustainable and that a more permanent and cost-effective solution was needed.

Between £30,000 and £35,000 is being spent on the new barrier system, and with an estimated 60,000 people using the toilets annually, it is expected to take two years for the authority to recoup the money.

Curr, leader of the council’s conservative group, said it was important for the council to work “to stop this idiotic behavior which is difficult to understand”.

He said toilets were an “important and often undervalued public amenity”.

“When people come to the city, whether they are residents or tourists, it is important that they have clean and safe facilities to use,” he added.

“The cost makes this a medium-term solution and we will look to make sure it is a worthwhile expense, that is the caveat.”

The council said barriers should be installed within eight weeks and people could pay via a contactless payment system.

Accessible toilets and Changing Places will remain free at the point of use, the council said, but will still require radar key and password access.