SO spending a penny in Worcester next year will actually cost several pence.

On the face of it, the city's proposed budget costs seem to be sensible.

Forced to make £800,000 of savings, the council has no choice but to take a long, hard look at its budget and has some difficult decisions to make.

While it is important for the council to provide public toilets, superloos may, in fact, be a good thing.

It will be virtually impossible for the self-cleaning inventions to become haunts for undesirables, making them far more inviting places for genuine users.

But what concerns us, is where and when these cuts will end.

Are superloos the beginning of the end of an era when councils not only provide basic amenities, but also the traditions, festivities and communal servies which make up the fabric of our society and culture?

This time every year the council is forced to look at where it can reduce services, which costs it can cut and if it can increase charges.

While any organisation can start by making reasonable savings, it is not long before services are cut back to the core.

How long before simply having a mayor is considered a luxury?

The council should, of course, ensure it is being run efficiently and sensibly, but the real answer lies with central Government.

Before long Whitehall must realise that Worcestershire needs more funding. The question is, will it be in time to save some cherished services?