AN M4 motorway service station has won praise for the quality of its toilets.

The Welcome Break site at Membury was given a four star rating for both its eastbound and westbound toilet in the 2003 Loo of the Year competition.

The competition, run by the British Toilet Association, aims to highlight the standard of the country's loos.

An independent team of judges visited hundreds of toilets in a variety of locations.

The service station's general manager Simon Sandall said: "I am delighted with the award. The staff here work hard to ensure that the toilets are in first-class condition at all times and it is great their efforts have been rewarded."

Richard Chisnell, spokes-man for the British Toilet Association, said: "All our toilet inspections take place unannounced and the facilities are judged against a number of criteria, including dcor and maintenance, cleanliness, accessibility, hand washing and drying equipment and overall management."