THE OWNERS of a popular Helensburgh cafe have hit back after a customer took to social media after being denied entry to the bathroom.

Local resident Lyn Morton took to Facebook to complain after she visited the Kidston Park cafe with her two granddaughters on Wednesday, July 12.

Her post read: “Had a wonderful day with my two granddaughters at Kidston park today. At about 3.45pm I took one to the toilet – closed. I asked at the cafe if I could just take her in, no.

“How do you explain to an eight-year-old she has to urinate on the grass. My understanding was they were public toilets.

“Two elderly ladies were also turned away. For god sake a children’s park. Beautiful day, school holidays. Are we a third world country where you just go where ever there is grass?”

The cafe owners told the Advertiser the toilets and the cafe are in the same building and that the public toilets remain open as long as the cafe does.

The cafe owners said they had agreed with Argyll and Bute Council when the cafe was built that the toilets would remain public and that they would close at the same time as the cafe.

The owners – who declined to be named – said: “The doors to the public toilet are the last thing we close before finishing up for the night.”

However, Argyll and Bute Council claimed the building should be open until 8pm during summer.

The local authority approved an application by Gareloch View Ltd in February 2012 for a “change of use” of the former public toilets at Kidston Park to form a cafe with a terrace and play area.

The authority’s report on that application stated that public toilets would continue to be provided at the new facility, although continued public toilet provision was not laid down as a condition of planning approval.

The building work at the premises was completed seven months after permission was granted.

A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “If any members of the public would like to contact us with details of their experience, we will look into this further.

“We are not aware of any concerns being raised regarding use of the public toilets at Kidston Park.

“The building is leased to tenants who operate the building as a café. Under the terms of the lease they have an obligation to allow members of the public to use the toilets via an exterior door and they must ensure they are open between 8am and 8pm from April to September, 8am to 4pm at other times of the year.”