Paris-style public toilets will soon be in use in the centre of Coventry.

The free-standing pods are being provided by Adshell, which will also install rotary advertisement units around the city centre.

Coventry has been criticised for the poor quality of its public toilets and two blocks have now been closed.

The Upper Precinct underground toilets and the Fairfax Street car park toilets have already been shut down and it is intended to do likewise with the White Street Coach Park block shortly.

Adshell will supply three of the new single-occupant toilets initially and they will be positioned in New Union Street, Queen Victoria Road and opposite the Council House in Earl Street.

The toilets will be coin operated and self-cleaning. The floor will move on rollers during cleansing so that any cigarette ends and other debris will drop into a container out of sight.

The new loos will not be the main toilet facilities in the city centre however. The City Centre Company’s Mark Nicholls says: 

"We are lobbying the city council to replace the main toilets in the Upper Precinct.

"The old toilets were in a disgraceful state and we do not want the new toilets to be built below ground level, because it is difficult for the elderly and the disabled. We would prefer them to be on the surface."

Peter Collard, City Centre Company manager said: 

"The new Adshell toilets will be sited inside the inner circulatory road some distance from the main toilets but in areas where there are a lot of people. We think three toilets will be enough for this purpose, but we shall be reviewing the situation."