SALTASH Town Council has been forced to shut yet another of the town’s public toilets after vandals struck again, prompting fresh appeals for residents to help catch those responsible.

The Belle Vue public toilets have been temporarily closed following the latest incident of vandalism on Monday (July 13), leaving residents and visitors without access to another key public facility while repairs are carried out.

The damage has been reported to Devon and Cornwall Police and council staff are now working to make the toilets safe before they can reopen.

The latest attack is the latest in what councillors say is a growing and frustrating pattern of vandalism, with the authority repeatedly left picking up the bill for deliberate damage to public facilities.

In a statement, Saltash Town Council said: “Unfortunately, due to an incident of vandalism, the Belle Vue public toilets have been temporarily closed. This incident has been reported to the police.”

The council's Service Delivery Team is carrying out repairs and safety checks before the toilets can be brought back into use.

The authority admitted the repeated closures are becoming increasingly frustrating for everyone involved.

“We understand this is frustrating for residents and visitors alike, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding,” a spokesperson said. “Please be assured we are doing everything we can to keep these facilities open, clean and safe for everyone to use.”

Behind the scenes, however, every act of vandalism comes at a cost.

Each repair diverts staff away from other work across the town and uses money that could otherwise be invested in improving parks, maintaining community spaces and delivering local services.

The council has not revealed the extent of the damage caused, but says every incident places additional pressure on already stretched resources.

It is now urging the public to become its eyes and ears.

“We kindly ask everyone to help us look after our shared spaces,” the council said. “If you see any suspicious activity or damage to public facilities, please report it.”

Residents can report concerns directly to Saltash Town Council through its website, while crimes or suspicious behaviour should also be reported to Devon and Cornwall Police.

The closure comes just days after neighbouring Callington Town Council highlighted the mounting cost of repeated vandalism at its own public toilets.

In this year alone, Callington revealed a baby changing unit had been damaged beyond repair, door locks had been vandalised and, most recently, a fire had been deliberately started inside one of the toilet cubicles.

The council warned every pound spent repairing deliberate damage is money that cannot be invested in projects that benefit the wider community.

Saltash Town Council added: “CCTV is in operation around the public toilet building and monitors the surrounding area. However, due to legal and privacy requirements, CCTV cannot be installed inside the toilet cubicles. We therefore ask everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour.

“If you witness vandalism or suspicious activity around council property, please report it to the police. Any information, no matter how small, could help identify those responsible.”