Visitors to Teignmouth won’t have to cross their legs for much longer if they want to spend a penny in the resort. Work to build the long-awaited new public toilets is finally set to start next month.

Bulldozers will start demolishing the former aquarium on the Upper Den Carriageway in mid-May ready for the new public conveniences to be built.

The demolition phase will take five weeks. However, construction of the new toilets won’t start until after the summer.

The Town Council also plans to build new toilets on the East Cliff car park this year as well as refurbishing the toilets on Lower Brook Street. It aims to provide toilet facilities in all the main car parks and at each end of the seafront within the next two years.

A replacement block on the Lower Point Car Park and by the Quay car park are scheduled for work next year.

Each of the toilet blocks will include a disabled cubicle, with two cubicles planned for the Den loos. On Lower Brook Street, there will be a larger ‘changing places’ unit including a hoist, shower and changing mat.

Visitors to Teignmouth have been forced to use portacabin toilets on the Den for the past 18 months after the old facilities under the old Beachcomber were incorporated into the new Captain’s Table, now Venus, restaurant.

Planning permission for the temporary toilets was due to end last month, but extended for a year so new toilets could be built without inconveniencing visitors.