London pub cleans up loo award

London, home to some of the nation's finest landmarks - Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Millennium Wheel - now has the best loo in the country. The little girls' and little boys' rooms in The Ledger Building, Wetherspoon's pub in Docklands, has beaten competition from across the UK to be crowned the 2001 Canon Hygiene British Loo of the Year today.

A quick glimpse round the interior of the gents reveals the state-of-the-art design that has made the east London public convenience the winning entry.

But it is the ladies' lavatory that is the real jewel in the crown - indeed, it is almost worth visiting the pub simply for the lavatories alone.

Edward Guyatt, who together with his wife Sue has managed the pub since its opening in June, said: "I think the fact that we won the award for the toilets shows the high standards we keep throughout the pub.

"All the new Wetherspoon pubs have been designed so that the toilets are a feature. A lot of thought went into the girls' toilets in particular, because they all seem to spend so much time in there. We always hear people praising them."

Sarah Roberts, 40, of Woolwich, is a regular who works at nearby Barclays Capital. She had nothing but praise for the award-winning loos, saying: "They are absolutely beautiful. But - if you asked me if I would rather there was more staff so you could get served quicker, or the toilets were nice - I'd go for the former."

The accolade of loo attendant of the year was awarded jointly to Yvonne Fiol and Annie Sharp, who are part of the team responsible for the ladies' lavatories in the Tower of London. The facilities in the Brick Tower regularly win awards for maintaining high standards of cleanliness.

Ms Fiol, 32, of Stepney, has been working at the tower for nine years. She said: "I think the circular design and the wonderful views you get out of the windows of the tower have got a lot to do with it. Tourists are always commenting on how nice and clean the loos are.

"I was quite surprised to win the award because I am only doing my job. I think maintaining high standards of hygiene is the secret."

All the England winners are from London, with prizes also going to the University of Greenwich, Gatwick Airport's South Terminal and the London Arena.