A pensioner was ‘robbed of his dignity’ when he was forced to wet himself after FOUR shops said he could not use their toilet.
Brian Dean, 75, of Stalybridge, and wife Joan, 65, were returning home from a break in Blackpool when Brian needed to go to the toilet.
He suffers from Parkinson’s disease and finds it difficult to get around without his wheelchair.
The couple stopped on Stockport Road in Levenshulme but could not find any public toilets, so they hoped that one of the shops in the area would allow Brian to use their facilities.
They tried corner shop Marta.
After Joan explained her husband’s situation, a man behind the counter waved them away.
She said: “We tried the Money Shop next door, but they said they didn’t have any toilets.”
The couple then tried Krispy Chicken but were refused.
In Subway they were told that there was no toilet for the public and that they could not use it.
On their way out, Brian said: “Joan I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold on.”
Speaking of his ordeal, he said: “I feel depressed. It makes me angry. It’s very frustrating. I’ve lost my dignity because they did not allow me to use their toilets.”
A spokesman for Marta said: “We don’t remember these people. The toilet was out-of-order. If it was working I would have let him use it. I do apologise but I shouldn’t have to provide the toilet.”
The Money Shop said: “The Money Shop fully sympathises with the predicament of the gentleman concerned.
“As a financial operation our primary concern must be the safety of our staff and the security of customer data and valuables. The store is simply unable to offer access to secure areas.”
Krispy Chicken said they have no customer toilets and that customers are not allowed to use the staff toilet upstairs.
In a statement Subway said: “On this occasion, the store owners of the Stockport Road branch were advised by the police to keep the toilets closed.
“The owner of the store has since investigated this incident with the store staff to ensure this is rectified going forwards.”
Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester council’s executive member for neighbourhood management, said: “It has been several years since we were forced to close a number of the public toilets in Manchester following harsh government cuts, and at the time a consultation on the issue attracted only six objections.
“We are disappointed to hear that has not happened on this occasion.”
By Adam John
@amjohn94
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