EASTER visitors to York were confronted by filthy public toilets and disgusting drugs litter, an Evening Press investigation has found.

The Bank Holiday was widely seen as vital to kick-start the important summer season, but staff shortages in York left public toilets in a mess.

When we checked conveniences around the city yesterday we found those in the Museum Gardens - one of the city's main tourist attractions - in the worst state.

Used syringes and bags of rubbish lay uncollected, and a vandalised open chemical toilet was left unchecked.

At Exhibition Square, plumbing problems left the toilets blocked and today the council admitted other public conveniences around the city had not been subject to their usual cleaning routine.

The cleaning is done by the council's commercial services group, which is contracted internally for the job.

Acting city centre manager, John Wood, who is in charge of the public conveniences, said he was furious about the situation and had worked all day yesterday to remedy the problem.

The toilets had been cleaned immediately, he said, and he was working to ensure that the situation was never repeated.

Mr Wood said: "I'm definitely unhappy about the state of the toilets at Exhibition Square and Museum Gardens. I've taken steps to ensure it does not happen again.

"I'm aware of the shortfall this weekend and I'm investigating. It was due to staff shortages, which is down to the contractors. Standards were not reached."

But damage may already have been done to the city's reputation, according to Gillian Cruddas, the chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau.

She said: "It's very unfortunate. The state of the city toilets can leave a lasting impression in a visitor's mind and they do compare use with other cities.

"The Easter weekend is one of the busiest of the year for the city and it's a shame if this has done us some harm.

"People won't necessarily write in, but it's an impression that they take away with them."

The toilets in Museum Gardens have become a haunt for drunks and drug users, and the police, Safer York Partnership and council officers are working together to try and contain the situation. Mr Wood said that last Thursday, 75 needles were removed from the area as the toilets were thoroughly cleaned in time for the four-day holiday, after being closed for the winter.

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said there was an ongoing problem with the Museum Gardens.

She said: "We work with Compass, the drugs support agency, and tell them when we find things or when we find people there. We also tell the police and we take their advice. Compass then provides support in a range of ways and provides support services."

Chief Inspector Howard Harding, of York Police, said: "We do work extremely closely with the council and we do have a drugs squad that has been very successful in combating drug crime."

After being contacted by the Evening Press, York's Liberal Democrat leader, Coun Steve Galloway, raised the issue at a meeting of the shadow executive yesterday.

He said: "Problems need to be spotted quickly and dealt with.

"I don't necessarily think that it will have lasting damage, but if people find toilets closed or in a poor condition, they may be less likely to visit the city."

Updated: 11:07 Wednesday, April 03, 2002