SPRIGHTLY 92-year-old Bob Parker is celebrating a ‘chain’ of awards for Lancashire’s best toilets.

Chipping’s public loos, which are environmentally friendly, opened in 2009 following a £76,000 revamp by the borough council.

The facility has been named the best toilets in the county – in a gong handed out through the Lancashire Best Kept Village competition – every year ever since – making it six years of success.

They are maintained by the authority’s Patrick Johnson and opened and closed each day by villager Mr Parker.

Flower displays and hanging baskets are also provided, by Chipping in Bloom.

Mr Parker, who lives “40 strides” from the toilets in Garstang Road, said: “I have been opening and closing them every day for years.

“I’m pleased that the toilets have been given the award and I enjoy helping out.

“I don’t mind giving my time up in this way and I also report any damage that’s done to the council.”

The father-of-four, grandfather-of-eight and great grandfather-of-two moved to the area in 1950.

A builder by trade, he spent three-and-a-half years building his own house, which he still lives in.

Chipping Coun Simon Hore said: “The loos are a superb facility made possible by the hard work of Patrick, Bob and the Chipping in Bloom team, who are to be congratulated for this outstanding success.”

A council spokeswoman said that they were “flushed with pride” at the award.

Ribble Valley public loos have won accolades before – environmentalist David Bellamy awarded the Slaidburn toilets a Green Apple Award in 2007.

The toilets – used annually by thousands of fell walkers, cyclists and the Ghurkhas who train in the area – are constructed from reclaimed local stone and are energy and water-efficient, with anti-vandal sensory taps and flushes, and energy-saving light bulbs.