TOILETS, mashed potato, vandals and sausages seem to be completely unrelated, but in the first town on the Thames they come together and make perfect sense.

Two Cricklade businessmen were so horrified that toilets in the town had been vandalised last year, they came up with the idea of a Banger Night to raise money towards their repair.

Mark Ingle, owner of the Vale Restaurant and Hotel, and Steve Caldecourt, of Hart of Cricklade butchers, raised £346.50 from the evening, when around 70 people turned up for bangers and mash and bubble and squeak, served by local councillors. Mr Ingle said: "We are all very proud of our town and work hard to preserve the unique character.

"The toilets are an essential facility for tourists and we are delighted to have raised this amount to improve their current condition."

Mr Caldecourt, who provided the sausages, said: "Cricklade is a place where people care about their community.

"The idea was to get people together to help the district council fund the improvements. We had a great evening and have now made it a regular event."

Work on improvements to the toilet block is expected to take place in the next couple of months.

Coun Sylvia Doubell (Lib Dem), North Wiltshire District Council's lead member for cleansing and amenities, said: "This is a marvellous example of local people taking responsibility for their local facilities."