A mother has described feeling 'disgusted' and 'embarrassed' after she was refused access to toilets at St John's Shopping Centre in Liverpool because she only had cash and the facilities operate on a card-only payment system.
Leanne Gildea, 32, from West Derby, was visiting the centre with her two daughters, aged six and 18 months, before travelling to Southport. She wanted to use the toilets but discovered the 35p charge could only be paid by card. Despite offering cash, she was turned away.
Ms Gildea said the situation was particularly distressing because her six-year-old daughter is incontinent and takes medication for the condition. 'My oldest daughter has never been able to go to the toilet properly,' she told the Liverpool Echo. 'She needs privacy and that's what she was refused.'
A member of the public eventually offered to pay the fee on his card, allowing Ms Gildea to access the facilities. 'If that man hadn't offered to pay, my little girl might have had to sit the whole way to Southport in dirty clothes,' she added.
A spokesperson for St John's Shopping Centre apologised and said the card-only system has been in place since 2014 to offset maintenance costs and improve hygiene. They noted that the accessible toilet is always free and that staff are empowered to exercise discretion in cases involving young children or urgent needs. The centre is reviewing the case internally.
