MORE than 100 people turned out to show their disgust at the proposed sale of the public toilets in the centre of Upton.

Residents, business owners and politicians took to the streets in the third protest rally since the toilets were closed as a cost-cutting measure last year.

The decision was taken by Malvern Hills District Council, which owns the building on Lower High Street.

Peter Webb, chairman of the tourist and trade association, said the saga was already costing the town visitors.

He said: "Malvern Hills District Council has said that there are other public conveniences in the town, but they are a quarter of a mile away from the centre.

"We have coach loads of people coming here on trips and we have been told by some of the drivers that these will stop because people cannot find anywhere to go to the toilet.

"We are losing business and it will only get worse as summer approaches and during events such as the jazz festival."

It recently emerged that a covenant exists between the district council's forerunner, the old rural district council, and Flowers Brewery, which used to own the King's Head pub. The brewery gave the toilet building to the council, on condition that it was retained as public conveniences.

King's Head landlord Graham Bunn says the covenant is still binding. But the district council, which is Lib Dem-controlled, says it still wants to sell the facilities.

Mary Wilkinson, district councillor for the area, was also present at Saturday's public show of disapproval.

She said: "It was a good gathering and people said what they wanted to say.

"It's a year now since all this started and we are still fighting. The council keeps on pointing out that there are facilities in Hanley Road, but we are now enduring the third flood this winter and these are under water. "

One of the main speakers at the protest rally was Tory parliamentary hopeful for West Worcestershire Harriet Baldwin, who called on the district council to delay selling the toilets until after an election in May. The Conservatives have promised to reopen the toilets if they win.