CAMPAIGNERS are flushed with pride after winning their battle to save a threatened public loo block from closure.

Around 3,500 people signed a petition opposing Bradford Council cost-cutting plans to shut the toilets at the popular St Ives estate, Harden.

And last week councillors performed a U-turn, granting a reprieve to the much-used facility.

Pam Laking, chairman of the Friends of St Ives, said she was delighted at the decision.

And she thanked everyone who had supported the campaign to keep them open.

"The idea of closing the toilets made no sense at all," said Mrs Laking, who attended the Shipley Area Committee meeting to hear the ruling.

"We welcome thousands of visitors to the estate every year and to suggest we could do without public loos was absolutely ridiculous.

"A lot of school parties visit and some special needs teachers told me it would be a disaster if the facility was removed, plus many of our visitors are elderly and they need toilet provision to be available.

"So many people would have been deterred from coming to St Ives if this had gone ahead."

Councillors were told that St Ives would also lose its Green Flag status, recognition of its quality as a visitor attraction, if it had no public facilities.

Mrs Laking added: "I would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who has given us their backing – it's really appreciated.

"If we hadn't have mounted this campaign and received all the support that we did, the council would have gone ahead with its closure plan."

The Friends now hope to raise funds to carry out some improvements to the loo block, including internal painting, new roof lights, window boxes and signage.