BYE Streets toilets, which have been closed for the best part of 18 months, will re-open for Easter after repairs, but with no guarantee that they will remain open in the long term.

Love Ledbury, the community charity which has the licence for the loos, is asking for community support to keep them open, including possible fundraising drives and support from the town council.

But if that is not forthcoming, and with members of the group facing the prospect of cleaning the loos themselves, to save on cleaning costs, Ledbury Community Day in June could be the last time that Love Ledbury is involved.

Cllr Liz Harvey, a founder member of Love Ledbury said: "Fundraising events to keep the loos open will not be sustainable in the long term. What is stopping the town council from committing?

"We shall be getting the ‘pay only’ locks installed some time next week and the loos spring-cleaned ready for the Easter holidays."

Cllr Harvey added: "We are really confused by the mixed messages coming from the town council.

"We have been trying since October 2015 to get the council to buy into the project and have had nothing but nit-picking and negativity.

"I was contacted by a concerned member of the public as recently as late November 2017 who had asked the town clerk why the town council hadn’t engaged positively with Love Ledbury.

"They were advised by the clerk that there was never any question of Ledbury Town Council taking the toilets back."

Before Love Ledbury makes any decision on its own future involvement, the public will be consulted.

Cllr Harvey said: "We hope to canvass the opinions of users on the future of the loos during the early part of the 2018 tourist season and will reflect on the feedback received before making any longer term decisions."

Love Ledbury took on the loos after Herefordshire Council cut funding for them and Ledbury Town Council declined to take them on.

Love Ledbury say running costs should be in the region of £10,000.

But with long-stretches of closures and vandalism, including superglue in the pay locks, consistent funding has proved to be a problem.

Now a row has broken out in Ledbury, at the start of another tourist season, over who should run the toilet block: one of only two in the market town.

Herefordshire Council, which gave the licence to Love Ledbury, said this week that it was aware of the concerns over the toilet block and would be "working with the relevant parties to consider the available options”.

Cllr Annette Crowe, a town councillor and former member of Love Ledbury, has asked the county council to formally "review the terms of the licence, to see if Love Ledbury is in breach of the terms".

She added: "We cannot do anything until Herefordshire Council takes the licence away from Love Ledbury.

"I think it is an appalling state of affairs.Tourists need this facility, and the people of Ledbury need it as well.

"Love Ledbury did not live up to the promise to keep them open. Love Ledbury was set up to keep those toilets open, and they have failed."

Local resident, Ann Beard said: "I think it is a shame that Ledbury has had only one loo open; the majority of people come on coaches to visit our lovely town and some are of the older generation who would like a toilet close to the bus stop; also parents want baby changing room.

"Love Ledbury have not fulfilled their obligation on this matter; it's better the council take it on."

But Ledbury resident Roger Baker asked why this had not happened previously.

He said: "The question should be, why the devil did the council not take them over in the first place?"