A BLOCK of toilets in Stamford Hill is set to get new locks after the Gazette revealed last week that it was being used as a homeless hostel by Polish workers for 20p a night....

A BLOCK of toilets in Stamford Hill is set to get new locks after the Gazette revealed last week that it was being used as a homeless hostel by Polish workers for 20p a night.

The loos at the junction of Stamford Hill and Amhurst Park could be fitted with locks which automatically open the doors after a specified time to prevent people sleeping in them.

A spokeswoman for Hackney Council said: "We were made aware of the situation at Stamford Hill last week and it is something we are concerned about.

"We are working with the contractor, police and homeless person units to find a solution to this problem.

"Clearly, using the public conveniences as overnight accommodation is not acceptable."

She added that while some other councils were closing down their public toilets, Hackney had made a considerable investment to improve them, but admitted that a balance needed to be struck between accessibility and security.

The loos cost £246,000 to build and were opened three months ago.