The public toilets at Head Street, Enniskillen
PEOPLE who misuse toilets, especially by indulging in inappropriate activity, have been warned by Fermanagh District Council: ‘we are watching you’.
The council operates 32 toilet blocks across the county and, according to its director of technical services, Gerry Knox, misuse is not a widespread problem.
However, a recent problem at a toilet block, ‘in an urban area’ has led to the Town Hall taking a proactive stance so as to deter offenders.
And, one deterrent that the council will be availing of is CCTV footage from cameras in the vicinity.
“We were advised”, he told the Herald, “we needed to take whatever steps we can to address this issue so that it would not be a recurring problem. It is not a widespread problem. We had one incident over 10 years ago, and now a more recent incident.”
While not defining what the problem was, Mr Knox agreed that it related to ‘activity’ in one particular toilet block in an urban area. He then revealed that the council would be relying on footage from CCTV cameras in the vicinity of toilet blocks.
“In some locations we would have footage from cameras in the vicinity. Obviously, you can’t have cameras inside toilet blocks, but you can examine external CCTV footage and, in that way, they could be useful to us.”
In addition to CCTV cameras, the council is going ahead with erecting signage at all 32 toilet blocks across Fermanagh, warning would-be offenders of the penalties for misuse.
And, at last month’s meeting, members instructed officers to consider the use of covert cameras at fly-tipping spots around the county.
There have been a number of incidents where illegal dumping has taken place and, here too, signs will go up and the public will be asked to blow the whistle on offenders.
This could take the form of noting a vehicle’s registration number and ringing it through to the Town Hall (028 66 325050), to Mr Knox’s department.
In the past, offenders, from as far away as Belfast, have been startled to get a letter from the Townhall, notifying them of a crime committed whilst they were in Fermanagh, and demanding they pay a fine.
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