Summary: After the closure of the public toilets, the council chief responsible was caught urinating in the street.
South Lanarkshire Council deputy leader Jackie Burns decided that closing the public toilets was a good idea. The Larkhall ward was experiencing budget cuts from the Scottish Government, so the removal of all public conveniences was the solution.
Fast forward several months since the closing of the toilets, and the result is the council chief caught urinating in the street because there was nowhere else to relieve himself, outside a Hamilton Place nightclub. Burns has since apologized and paid his £40 fine given by the police that spotted him. He said “I was in a taxi rank at the Bottom Cross in Hamilton and needed the toilet. I went down a lane to relieve myself and was approached by police … I am embarrassed by the incident and have apologized.”
Burns represents Larkhall and is involved with several committees for social work, education, and planning resources. An MSP for Central Scotland, John Wilson, stated, “I am disappointed by his behavior. He should consider his position as deputy leader.”
The community council fought with the South Lanarkshire Council over the closure of the toilets, even getting a reprieve for three months until the toilets were finally closed in June. The community council led a petition to gather over 3,000 signatures and conducted a poll that found over 70 percent of local businesses wanted the toilets kept open.
Perhaps Burns regrets not leaving the toilets open now.
Photo: scotsman.com