Pregnant woman refused toilet key at park gatehouse

It happened on Monday when Lisa Leslie (33) was in the park with her four-year-old daughter.

“We’d been in the play park,” said Lisa who is due to give birth to her second child in just under five weeks.

“I went to the gatehouse and asked could I use the toilet.

“I was told it was for disabled people only and that I’d have to walk to the public toilets at the swimming pool.

“They said the toilets at the gatehouse weren’t for public use anymore because they’d been wrecked too many times.

“How does someone who is disabled prove they are disabled in order to use the loos?

“If they’re not willing to make an exception for someone who is heavily pregnant would they also refuse someone who was disabled and it wasn’t an obvious disability?”

A Craigavon Borough Council spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to this lady for the incident at Lurgan Park.

“Staff have been reminded of the need to open the toilet to members of the public when they are requested.

“A council officer has also been in contact with the lady in question to personally apologise.

“There has been a need to control access to this toilet facility due to persistent vandalism which in the past has resulted in the toilet being closed for long periods of time to all users.

“Access is currently controlled by a radar key.

“These keys can be acquired at the civic centre for those who may need to access this toilet on a frequent basis.”