People shopping in Dereham could soon be caught short after apparent confusion between two councils over a set of public toilets. The town has two lots of public loos - one on the Cowper Road car park, and the other in the Barwells Court alleyway off the Market Place.

People shopping in Dereham could soon be caught short after apparent confusion between two councils over a set of public toilets.

The town has two lots of public loos - one on the Cowper Road car park, and the other in the Barwells Court alleyway off the Market Place.

Under new arrangements Breckland Council is handing over the running of the toilets to the town council.

The confusion has arisen after town councillors announced the district council had only allowed it to either keep the Barwells Court or Cowper Road conveniences regularly open - and that they had chosen to keep the Barwells Court block open as it is closer to the Market Place.

The Cowper Road block will just be open on Fridays so market stall holders can use them - and that will only be until the market returns to the Market Place.

Dereham town clerk Tony Needham said: “We have only agreed to take over the running of one set of toilets. The agreement with Breckland was that the lump sum was to look after one set of toilets.

“Renovating toilets is a costly business and there isn't enough money for both sets to be done.

“As far as we're concerned it's not a big deal. We're not disagreeing. They are responsible for the second set.”

But a spokesman for Breckland Council said: “We are not responsible for the public toilets in Dereham. We approached the town council and they chose to only take on one set.”

The prospect of only one set of public loos open in Dereham is likely to be met with anger - and the chamber of trade had called for more toilets to be included in the new phase two development of shops off Wrights Walk and Chapel Walk.

That plea fell on deaf ears.

It is likely shoppers who need to spend a penny will have to resort to using facilities in town centre shops which have them open to the public.