BURNLEY Council is flushed with success after two of its public toilets received top awards.

The loos in Memorial Park, Padiham, and Burnley’s Towneley Park Rotunda, were awarded gold in the Loo of the Year Awards 2013.

Judges on the national panel assessed 100 different criteria, including signage, décor, fixtures and fittings, and overall standards of cleanliness and management.

Almost 1,500 entries were submitted this year, across 60 different entry categories.

Pat Colbran, secretary of the Friends of Towneley Park, said the award was well deserved.

She said: “We helped the council with the original Heritage Lottery bid that secured funding to upgrade the toilets over five years. The award is certainly deserved. The facilities are wonderful. There’s underfloor heating, and everything.”

The judging criteria also included maintenance, hygiene eq-uipment, air quality, security, changing facilities, and overall management and customer care.

The announcement bucks the trend for public toilets in Bur-nley and Pendle, with several closing down because of spending pressures in recent years.

Others have been handed over to town and parish councils, as borough authorities look to get liabilities off their books.

Some of the buildings, like the ones off Burnley Road, in Cliv-iger, have been given an £8,000 price tag, and auctioned off.

Earlier this year, there were calls for the council to close public toilets at Padiham Town Hall after neighbourhood sergeant Mick Burnett said there had been complaints of ‘unacceptable sexual conduct’ on the premises.