CHARGING disabled people money to use revamped toilets is "simply wrong", according to a fuming city councillor.

Coun Sam Arnold has launched an attack on Worcester City Council following its decision to charge disabled people 20p to use the Angel Place toilets by saying it is a "very bad idea that has backfired".

And he called on the council to stop the charge at the facilities to avoid any further embarrassment.

At a packed meeting of the council, he said: "I think deep down, the council knows this is wrong.

"Angel Place was in desperate need of refurbishment, and the redevelopment was welcome, but charging disabled people 20p was always going to be an issue.

"When I go to the council and an officer tells me it would be reverse discrimination to stop the charge, it concerns me.

"Quite simply, this is about how we treat people. What message does this give the people of Worcester? Quite a bad one, I should imagine.

"I wonder if the council had been ill-advised on the toilets at the time, because I have not met one person who approves of the 20p charge.

"It gives out a very bad image. Over 90 per cent of councils in England and Wales have free toilets.

"What about parents with a disabled child? Are we expecting them to pay for their children? Charging is wrong, it's that simple."

As the Worcester News reported on Tuesday Coun Arnold wants the council to join the Radar scheme, which allows disabled people to buy a key for a small charge and access disabled facilities across the country for free.

The Angel Place toilets reopened in May after a 12-week £138,000 upgrade and all users are charged 20p.

City council leader Coun Simon Geraghty defended the toilets by saying the revamp decision was made when the authority was in a major budget deficit.

"When that decision was made we had to decide either to shut them or invest in them," he said. "We have free loos for disabled people at Guildhall, the customer services centre and the bus station in the day, so it's not like we don't provide it.

"These toilets are open 24 hours a day so the provision is actually better than before."

He was also sceptical about the Radar key system because it is open to abuse.

A motion to reconsider the charge was vetoed at a full council meeting so officers can report on the matter before it goes any further.