Range of measures to prevent drunks urinating in public

EDINBURGH'S murky closes could get locked gates and bright lights in order to stop drunks using them as public toilets.

Residents have identified public urination in the early hours of the morning after the city's pubs and clubs close as one of the main drawbacks of city centre living that they want police to tackle.

Officers are now looking at a range of options to deal with the problem, while council chiefs are also continuing to consider whether to introduce portable toilets.

The Grassmarket area and streets off the Royal Mile are among those to be targeted after residents at the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership identified the issue as a top priority.

Inspector Dianne Bruce, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We try to pull together a group of community representatives and have a system where residents or businesses can feed issues in that are a problem and are a bit more long-term.

"The Grassmarket issue is very much a work in progress. This is the second quarter that we have gone for looking at this issue more closely.

"Urination is one aspect of it, but we are also targeting other types of antisocial behaviour in the area as well.

"We are looking at things like gates, better lighting and other security measures to discourage people, while the council is leading on looking at facilities, such as portable toilets.

"It is really a three-pronged attack on that, looking at facilities, prevention and security."

Council chiefs are already looking at whether open-sided plastic urinals could be installed in areas such as the Cowgate and Grassmarket in order to cut down on the number of drunk revellers urinating against shop fronts, tenement flat entrances or other closes off the main streets.

It would cost about 9000 to buy the urinals, which would be brought in on Friday or Saturday nights then removed the next day.

There would also be additional costs for servicing, installing and removing them. Councillor David Beckett, convener of the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership, said: "It is a particular problem from Hunter Square up and a lot of the way down the Royal Mile, too.

"Because there are a lot more pubs further up the Royal Mile, there are real problems with people cutting down and using the closes as a toilet.

"There's other problems as well, like people hanging about Hunter Square or going drinking in some of the closes, while graffiti is a real problem and there's problems with drug use.

"It is not just one type of antisocial behaviour, there are a number of issues as people can't see you down these closes so people often take the opportunity to behave in an inappropriate way."

A council spokesman said: "Residents complain regularly about people urinating in closes, stairs and doorways and we are keen to work with our partners to address this issue. One of the options we are looking at is the use of temporary urinals, but no final decision has been made yet."