THERE are fewer than five accessible toilets for disabled people to use in York, new figures show.

And campaigners in the city said more needs to be done in terms of accessible toilets to support disabled people and their "dignity".

New analysis of the figures by QS Supplies, a bathroom supplier, shows there are 27 publicly available toilets in York – only four of which are accessible to disabled people.

Flick Williams, a visually impaired wheelchair user and campaigner for York Disability Rights Forum, said that accessible toilets are "essential" to enable disabled people to use the toilet with dignity.

Flick said: "For many of us, there is no just nipping into a pub and some need the extra facilities provided by Changing Places toilets such as an adult changing table and ceiling track hoist.

"Poor provision of facilities is a major disincentive to disabled people visiting a place, so it is a bad business model for a city seeking to maximise its visitor numbers not to provide clean, always available, accessible toilets.”

The lack of public toilets in York has recently been criticised by two sisters in York who regularly visit the graves of their parents and brother in Fulford Cemetery.

Jackie Stephenson and her sister Kathryn Cammidge frequently visit the graves of their parents Irene and Arnold Cammidge and their brother Michael - but say they have to make sure they go to the loo before they set out, for fear of getting 'caught short'.

Jackie, 54, said it was "absolutely ludicrous".

York Press: Jackie Stephenson at Fulford Cemetery Jackie Stephenson at Fulford Cemetery (Image: Newsquest)

"I know for a fact that the lack of a toilet at the cemetery is preventing people from attending burials there," she said.

In February, the Government announced funding for more than 100 new Changing Places toilets – which are designed to be used by people with a range of disabilities – to be built across England.

Across Yorkshire and The Humber, 265 of 688 public toilets are accessible - which equates to 38.5 per cent.

The Great British Public Toilet Map tracks publicly available toilets using crowd-sourced information from users and data from councils and other organisations. It only logs free-to-use toilets which the public can use without having to ask.

As these figures are largely based on submissions from the public, they may not reflect the full range of facilities available in the area.

York Press: A Changing Places toiletA Changing Places toilet (Image: UGC)

Shelley Symonds, a campaigner for the Changing Places charity, said that not being able to access a suitable toilet can dictate everyday life.

“The freedom of being able to visit different places and have days out that we can thoroughly enjoy, without the worry of toilet uncertainty or having to cut our trips shorts, is a wonderful feeling," she added.

A Labour spokesperson for equalities, Councillor Rachel Melly, hit out at councillors in York, stating they are yet to use funding to build more accessible toilets.

Cllr Melly said: "We welcomed the £250,000 of Government funding announcement last year following a successful Labour council motion calling for improvements to accessibility in the city centre.

"Unfortunately the council has only managed to progress one of the six changing places toilets that were initially approved, once again and predictably in a marginal Lib Dem represented ward.

"It seems difficult to believe another city centre site could not be found for an additional Changing Places toilet, which is the busiest area and should be the priority for this funding.

“It now appears that the council is going to run out of time to spend the full allocation and may even end up returning some of it to Government. York does have some Changing Places toilets but missing the opportunity to add more and to make life easier for our residents, due to poor planning, is really unforgiveable”.