Oh dear, what can the matter be, David's stuck for four days in the lavatory

AS A member of the official committee, David Leggat was used to giving up many hours of his time at his bowling club.

But even he did not expect to spend four days at the venue without food, heating or contact with the outside world after the toilet door handle broke, trapping him inside the loo.

The 55-year-old had to survive in the freezing gents' toilet by sipping tap water. He was eventually rescued when a cleaner turned up for work and heard his cries.

Mr Leggat's unfortunate lock-in began last Monday afternoonwhen he dropped into the Kittybrewster and Woodside Bowling Club in Aberdeen, of which he is the wine steward. After he nipped into the toilet, the handle jammed.

The unmarried bowler, who did not have a mobile phone with him, quickly realised he was in for a long wait as the building is only open to general members between Thursday to Saturday during the winter.

He spent 16 hours of each day in darkness without food, and only survived the ordeal by sipping water from the taps and fighting off the cold by dipping his feet in a sink of warm water.

Mr Leggat, who recently retired from Kemnay Academy, where he taught English and history, said: "Although the handle was slightly faulty it has never stuck before, but this time it jammed.

"I couldn't push it open because it opens inwards, and rattling the handle made no difference because the one on the outside had fallen off. The club isn't used much over the winter, so I knew I was in for a long wait. I tried shouting for help at first, but gave up when I realised no-one could hear me."

The tiled floors and small, cramped space made it difficult to sleep, and he believes he managed only three hours of shut-eye a night. As if to torment him, Bob Ewing, the club secretary, even stopped by the club on Mr Leggat's third day of incarceration, but because the toilets were at the back of the premises, he did not hear his cries for help.

Finally, on Thursday morning, Mr Leggat's fourth day in solitary confinement, his moment of freedom arrived when cleaner Cathy Scollay heard his shouts and raised the alarm. Ms Scollay, who keeps her cleaning equipment in the gents', said: "I put on the light, pushed the door and heard a voice shouting, 'You can't get in here, I have been locked in here for four days'. I just couldn't believe it."

Ms Scollay could not manage to free Mr Leggat, so called Mr Ewing, who used a screwdriver to open the door.

"David looked awfully grey and shaky when he came out," Ms Scollay said. "But he managed to walk up the road to his house."

She added: "Nobody had been looking for David. A wife might have wondered where he was, but he is not married."

Mr Leggat joked: "At least there was a toilet to use. The only thing I regret is not getting trapped behind the bar."

WHAT HE MISSED IN THE LOO

On Monday, Donald Trump hinted he might take his 1 billion golf project to Northern Ireland, after planning permission was rejected in Aberdeenshire.

On Tuesday, an RAF board of inquiry revealed that a crash which killed 14 servicemen was probably caused by a fuel spill.

Wednesday saw the announcement of the first steps to scrap prescription charges by 2011.

On Thursday, the base interest rate was cut by 0.25 per cent.

SURVIVAL TIPS

DAVID Leggat claimed he came through the ordeal relatively unscathed thanks to a key tip from a survival course - keep your feet warm.

"I had nothing with me to eat so I sipped cold tap water to keep me going," he said. "I did a survival course once and knew I had to keep my feet warm, so I kept running a basin of hot water and putting my feet in to send the heat through my body.

"But I was absolutely frozen. All I had on was my jacket and my trousers."