COMPLAINTS about Leigh town centre toilets -- or rather the lack of them -- are being taken seriously, MP Andy Burnham said this week.

Mr Burnham told The Journal that he was backing a campaign being led by Cllr Brian Jarvis as chairman of the Town Centre Management Group to open more loos in Leigh.

Both Mr Burnham and Cllr Jarvis said they had been inundated with requests for better toilet facilities in the town centre.

Last week the Town Centre Management Group and Mr Burnham met up with town bosses, including the council's chief executive Stephen Jones and council leader Lord Peter Smith to discuss how to attract more retailers to empty properties in Leigh town centre.

Mr Burnham said: "One of the issues that came up was public toilets. We underestimate the importance of public toilets -- but they can be the difference between people having a good day out shopping or not.

"I did ask the council what they can do about toilet facilities and they promised to look into it."

Cllr Jarvis said one suggestion was to close the heavily vandalised Bengal Street toilets and open new toilets next to Leigh market near Shopmobility.

And he was hoping two further public loos could be opened in Leigh -- although no locations have been earmarked yet.

Cllr Jarvis said one of the big problems was vandalism and he said a possible solution would be for the council to invest in the more expensive continental vandal proof toilets.

He added the idea of having sponsored toilets was also being looked into, whereby companies sponsored loos in return for advertisements around the town.