PUBLIC toilet cleaners are being threatened with needles and regularly have to remove human blood and excrement from walls, floors and ceilings.

Frontline workers face a daily battle to clean Brighton and Hove’s public lavatories.

The vandalism has cost the taxpayer nearly £30,000 since 2017.

New city council leader Nancy Platts said: “The toilets are cleaned daily, but it’s a constant battle to keep them clean.

“Much of the vandalism, drug-taking and mess takes place very soon after the attendant leaves once they’ve cleaned the toilet.”

Now she has promised the council will tackle the menace head-on.

It is bringing in a new security force to patrol the toilets and deter drug taking.

This comes after reports of cleaners being ordered out the toilets by men and women wanting to fight.

In other cases, drug users are threatening to stab the workers in the neck with a needle if they are not left alone.

At night, vandals kick the doors in so they can get in to sleep there, often trashing the place before they leave in the morning.

Others are using spray paint, lighters and even faeces to graffiti the toilets.

Attendants regularly have to clean blood and human faeces smeared all over walls, floors and ceilings.

The pictures on these pages taken by council staff reveal the grim extent of damage to our public lavatories.

One shows a wheelie bin full of needles recovered by staff in just six weeks.

Another shows dirty needles mixed up with other rubbish.

Cleaners are risking being pricked by drug paraphernalia almost daily.

Cases of vandalism include a radiator bent of shape, doors which have been smashed up and graffiti daubed over ceilings.

Since 2017, there have been 2,210 acts of vandalism in city toilets, mainly those in the centre.

These include lavatories being ripped from the floor, fires, broken taps, graffiti and smashed lights.

This behaviour has cost the taxpayer £29,273 in that period.

Councillor Platts said: “These pictures and figures clearly show the enormous amount of vandalism and drug taking that takes place in our most-used public toilets.”

“They also highlight the dangers the toilet attendants and cleaners face every day as they do their best to keep the toilets clean and safe for us all. I am determined to tackle this issue.”