SWINDON MP Julia Drown plans to expose the scandal of grotty school toilets and the problems they can breed.

Ms Drown will be carrying out spot checks on latrines in Swindon as part of the Bog Standard Campaign a national push for better school loos.

The Bog Standard Campaign was launched to rid schools of rundown ablutions which campaigners say are not just unpleasant, but also affect learning.

The MP for South Swindon will inspect lavatories at Greendown Community College tomorrow.

She said: "Many children and young people don't use or don't want to use toilets in schools because they are disgusting, not private enough or because they get bullied in them.

"This really can be an issue for many pupils and it has many implications.

"For example, if students want to avoid going to the toilet, they won't drink as much water during the day, and dehydration makes learning more difficult."

According to BBC research, just over 70 per cent of children are unhappy with the state of their school washrooms.

A separate survey, by health visitors, revealed that over 80 per cent of toilets are not cleaned adequately, with 40 per cent having no toilet paper or soap.

Ms Drown added: "I'm sure things have improved since my days at school, and certainly it's good we have got rid of outside toilets.

"But from my visits to local schools so far, I would have to say the situation could still be improved further."

The Bog Standard Campaign wants the Government to introduce new guidelines for school toilets.

It also wants headteachers to enforce a clean, safe toilet policy.

At present, the law simply states the minimum number of loos and washbasins schools must provide.

This contrasts with legislation for the workplace, which says facilities must be clean, well ventilated, with hot water.

Tamash Lal