THE tourist season has got off to a disastrous start in Stourport, traders have said.

Amid poor weather - and continuing gripes about a lack of toilet facilities - businesses have said the summer so far is worse than last year, when the town was still reeling from the double blow of foot and mouth and flooding.

The new superloo, on Raven Street, has finally been installed and although Wyre Forest District Council admitted it suffered "teething problems" with the automatic doors it maintains they have now been ironed out.

But Ray Cox, who runs Severn Side's Angel pub, said visitors were still avoiding the town.

"It's been seriously grim - a case of rain stopped play. We're more affected because we're a riverside pub but it must have affected everybody.

"Tourism is our life blood. We need to accumulate summer money to spend through the winter - and we're not the only ones."

David Taylor, who owns OK Cafe in Bridge Street, echoed his sentiments.

"All the industry has gone and tourism is all Stourport has got. We haven't had great weather and the streets have been empty."

He added: "Last year was a pretty poor year and this year we're well down. There's lots of investment I need to make but I'm having to make do and mend."

Stourport Steamer Company's boss admitted business had not been sizzling but he was not yet willing to write off the summer.

"The weather - and the World Cup - has been against us but we're hoping to recover. We've just got to grin and bear it for now," said Trevor May, whose company owns three boats and can cater for 300 passengers.

"A lot of people have said they don't trust the superloo. And for families with kids, you still have to pay 20p a go. But I'm sure it's the same in other resorts."

Pete Roberts, chairman of the Riverside and Bridge Street Traders' Association, an umbrella organisation for businesses in the main tourism district, said the weather had put a dampener on sales.

"It's pretty quiet at the moment. A lot of it is weather-related and we're certainly not breaking any records.

"It's probably on a level with last year, which was low because of foot and mouth. There's the problem of once people go away from an area they take a long time to come back."