THE saga of Upton's public toilets continues after a meeting between the town council and a district council officer.

No decision has been made on the future of the Lower High Street loos, although the town council has suggested three options to the district, which closed them in April.

Mayor John Thompson reported on a meeting with Ivor Pumfrey, the dis- trict's environmental services manager, to the town council on Tuesday.

He said: "It consisted of Mr Pumfrey going through the three options we proposed and the clerk and I saying they were serious offers which weren't for haggling about."

Coun Thompson said Mr Pumfrey did not feel the first option, that the toilets be reopened at no cost to Upton if a cost saving was made elsewhere, was a possibility. He also refused to consider the second option, that the town council would make a financial contribution towards maintenance of the toilet if the district kept them open.

The third option was the town council would take over ownership of the building, with the district making a tapering financial contribution towards the upkeep of the toilets.

Mr Thompson said Mr Pumfrey promised to investigate this but had to meet with town councils in Malvern and Tenbury, where toilets were also closed, before putting it to district council.

When the decision to close the toilets was made, the district council agreed a six-month negotiation period with town councils. Mr Thompson was worried talks with Malvern and Tenbury would delay progress over the Upton settlement and the six-month deadline would pass.

Mr Pumfrey said: "I confirm I met with them and we are in negotiations. I'm not willing to get drawn into detail until there is something sufficiently substantial worth getting drawn in about."

He said any decision to extend the six-month deadline for negotiations would have to go before the council but, if a settlement was in an advanced stage, this may be possible.

The town clerk has still not received a reply to a letter sent to the district citing a conveyance made when the toilet block was handed over, requiring it to be kept and maintained as a public convenience.