Doors damaged, wiring exposed, toilet sensors ruined – Cllr Bremner outlines catalogue of crime at vandalised Wick toilets
Highland councillor Raymond Bremner shed light and commented on the recent vandalism that led to the closure of the Whitechapel toilets in Wick.
As reported on December 26, the refurbished public toilets, which had only been open for six months after repeated acts of vandalism had closed the facility in December 2019, were closed again after being intentionally damaged on December 23.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 7.50am on Monday, 23 December, 2024, officers received a report of damage at public toilets on Whitechapel Road, Wick. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Wick and East Caithness councillor Raymond Bremner said that fellow ward councillors were made aware that the Whitechapel Road Public Convenience was shut to the public due to an act of vandalism “mainly in respect of the doors and door frames to the public showers and the automatic flush sensors”.
The showers have been switched off but due to exposed wiring in those areas and the automatic flush sensors being out of action, the decision was taken, on a health and safety basis, to close the building to the public until the damage is repaired.
Cllr Bremner said: “The issue has been reported to the police and emergency repairs are being arranged but unfortunately, due to the timing of the incident, it’s not possible to say at this stage when the building will be reopened.”
The building and surrounding area are covered by a number of CCTV cameras – both inside and around the building – which will hopefully identify the perpetrators.
Cllr Bremner said: “It’s a real shame that a new facility for the local people and visitors to the town has been targeted by mindless thugs right at one of the busiest times of the year.
“The new public shower facilities have been well used according to recent figures and the damage to the door frames will mean they are out of action until they can be repaired. The wiring and automatic flush sensors have to be repaired and I’m aware that the decision has been made to close the building for safety reasons until the damage can be fixed. I hope this can be done as quickly as possible but appreciate that this is a particularly busy time of the year with many folks on holiday.”
He added: “I hope that the new CCTV equipment in and around the building will assist the Highland Council and Police Scotland to track down whoever was involved in this. The CCTV in the area is linked to the rest of the town’s CCTV system.”
Cllr Bremner said that since the building was renovated and refurbished, many in the community have commented on the “quality of the facility that has been available”.
“The fact is that the local community and visitors to the area shouldn’t have to put up with this and I know that I and my fellow colleagues are committed to ensuring that this building continues to provide a vital facility and amenity in the town centre.
“A lot of time and investment went into it and I hope it won’t be long before the building reopens. I also hope it isn’t long before the perpetrators are caught and charged.”