Taking the P... Shropshire couple charge walkers £1 to relieve themselves

Jan 29 2012 by Jonny Greatrex, Sunday Mercury

WALKERS hoping to spend a penny while roaming through a Midland beauty spot are being caught short by a leg-crossing £1 charge.

The facilities at Small Batch Camping in Little Stretton, Shropshire, are found next to a public footpath and are in big demand.

Nestled in the Ashes Valley a mile from picture postcard Church Stretton, the country town considered the heart of the Shropshire Hills, they are the only toilets in sight.

But passers-by hoping to relieve themselves are being left disappointed by the inflation-busting charges.

Walker Dave King, 60, from Stourbridge, said: “We trekked over the Long Mynd and noticed the signs on the toilets.

“It said taking a pee was free for campers but ‘trespassers’ would be charged £1.

“It’s a bit steep, to say the least. What happened to being able to spend a penny?”

But campsite owners Oscar, and Pam Prince, said the £1 fee was necessary to ensure the facilities remained in the best possible condition for their guests. The couple have run the site for 43 years and Oscar’s family have owned it since 1927.