UPTON'S district councillor says she did not realise people were so against the closure of the town's Lower High Street toilets when she voted in favour of it.

Sue Adeney put her hand up with 16 of her Liberal Democrat colleagues before the decision to shut the loos was forced through on the casting vote of Lib Dem council chairman Val Myatt.

A 500-name petition was raised in Upton against the closure, amid concerns about its impact on the tourist trade.

Town councillors met on Tuesday and launched a sustained attack on the decision and the district council's move to discontinue free evening parking.

Both were seen as high-handed decisions taken by the Lib Dem-controlled authority against the wishes of local people.

"These are big issues for Upton and the district council is ignoring the wishes of the people," said Coun Tim Drake.

Coun Adeney, whose district council seat covers Upton and Hanley, was asked to explain why she voted for closure of the toilets in the face of strong local opposition.

She said she had not voted for or against Upton but in the interests of the district as a whole. She said she had been unaware of the strength of opposition in Upton.

The town council will continue its fight. It will send a letter to the district council stressing the importance of keeping the toilets open, before the matter is re-considered by MHDC on April 3.

The state of Upton's pavements and streets was also discussed at the meeting, with councillors criticising the poor condition of Gardeners Walk, Dunns Lane and Minge Lane.

They were described as having a patchwork of different surfaces, poor repairs and subsidence, which looked unattractive in a tourist town and made life difficult for the elderly and people with pushchairs.

It was decided to tackle specific potholes through the Highways Partnership Unit.