A DISGRUNTLED pub owner is calling for urgent action after years of verbal abuse, disruption and mess from rail passengers who are desperate to use his loos.
Daniel Keicher, owner of the Tavern Inn right next to Kemble station, says the problems are caused because the station toilets are shut for much of the time.
He is also concerned that vulnerable and elderly passengers are being neglected.
Mr Keicher, who has been running the pub for six years, says passengers, some of whom are drunk, urinate onto the pub, throw things at his windows, shout at staff and frequently leave his toilets in a disgusting state, which has led to spiralling costs.
The station loos are locked and can only be opened by Great Western Railway staff who work morning shifts between 6.40am and 1.30pm Monday to Friday and between 6.40am and 2.10pm on Saturdays.
Mr Keicher said the absence of staff in the evenings means vulnerable passengers can be left stranded when trains are cancelled.
In one incident, Mr Keicher had to guide a blind woman in her 70s over the bridge to the other platform after she was spotted lost and afraid by the pub garden.
She began crying when she realised the station toilets were locked.
In May, Mr Keicher returned to the pub around 2am and found a woman who had been stranded in the cold for four hours due to a train being cancelled.
Mr Keicher called a taxi to take her to a nearby hotel.
In addition, he says staff living at the pub no longer use the front room because of the constant disruption from passengers rushing to use their loos.
"We have had a quite a few horror stories over the last few years," said Mr Keicher.
"Once I had to stop lunch service completely because we needed to get the cleaners back in because somebody had completely trashed the toilets, the pub lost out on £800 that day.
"I have had people urinate onto the pub while customers are trying to enjoy their food.
"People don't like to use the toilets on the train for several reasons, mainly because they are never very clean.
"Having people only work at the station in the mornings is just not good enough because it means at 4pm when all the commuters rush into the station there is no-one there to help them.
"GWR staff say they can't leave the toilets open due to fear of vandalism but it means the pub gets vandalised instead.
"I have proposed a number of solutions to GWR which include paying to cover my cleaning costs, putting up portable toilets in the car park or installing a cash or contactless payment system on the station toilets but I just get excuses."
A spokesperson for GWR said: "We have toilets on all our trains, which can be used by customers before leaving the service, or when they board.
"Unfortunately, in common, with all other stations, to maintain the security of the station environment we can not leave toilets open when stations are not staffed.
"We are currently recruiting for a new team member at Kemble, and we hope to have someone in place soon.
"The station's toilets will however remain closed in the afternoon and evening.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel