A COUNCILLOR has claimed his council is charging taxpayers for “the most expensive toilet in the country.”

Ukip Billericay town councillor Terry Gandy is furious the councilis paying £20,000 a year for a single automatic public toilet in the carpark behind the town’s Iceland store.

He claims on average, just nine people a day are using the leased facility and this means the council is spending £5.79 each time someone spends a penny.

Mr Gandy says it could save £55,000 by cancelling remaining nine years of the toilet’s 15-year lease. As well as the lease, the council pays Basildon Council £1,300 a year for the two spaces, it occupies in the car park behind the High Street shop.

He added: “Figures I have seen show 93per cent of people didn’t want an automated toilet,but clearly, their opinions don’t mean anything.”

The Echo understands it would cost the council about £125,000 to end the contract early.

Town council chairman John Buchanan said: “There is no credible reason to remove the toilet. The people of Billericay overwhelmingly wanted a public toilet and we negotiated very hard for the best deal."