An appeal has been launched for volunteers to run a village's only loo block - sparking fears pensioners will not leave their homes if it shuts.

The team managing the facilities in Reculver Road, Herne Bay, warns if not enough people come forward to look after and clean the site, it will have to close.

The current crop of volunteers, called the Beltinge Public Toilet Trust, are set to step down - and they say at least three people need to take over before the building's lease expires in January.

Village councillors Ian and Jeanette Stockley fear elderly people will decide to stay indoors rather than visit the area should the loos be locked for good, as the next-nearest are a mile away.

“It’s like with park benches, you never realise how important they are until you need one," the married Tory politicians told KentOnline.

“The volunteers do an absolutely cracking job, but we need to find more people to help out.

“A big problem is the nearest facilities to here are at The King's Hall, a mile away and downhill.

“Well, that’s no good for people caught short here, is it?"

The trust, which was launched in 2016, campaigned to save the toilets, after Canterbury City Council closed them down eight years ago due to a perceived lack of use.

But the group reopened the unisex facilities in 2017, and has been running them ever since.

Having managed the toilets for six years, it has decided the time has come to hand the site over.

Ray Macpherson and wife Kay, who organised a lot of fundraising to keep the loos going, moved to East Sussex last year to enjoy their retirement.

They say without new blood to take over the work, the trust will have to disband.

Another of the group's founding members, Peter Claridge, explained: "When they were talking about closing the toilets, we all decided to muck in and see what we could do.

"Now with our five-year lease coming to an end, we feel it’s time to pass the buck onto a fitter group of people.”

The Stockleys see no reason why the lease will not be renewed by the local authority as "it costs it nothing".

But they are concerned "over the lack of names being put forward".

“Without some interest by January, the toilets will have to close indefinitely," the politicians added.

"There’ll be nobody around able to help, which would be a big shame.

"It's really important. If older people are unsure they'll be able to find a loo that is accessible, they simply won't go out.

"There will be fewer people coming into the shops here.”

Trustees are expected to raise the funds to maintain the upkeep of the toilets themselves.

Expenses include loo rolls, disinfectant, electricity and the building's general maintenance.

The trust estimates the toilets cost about £1,200 to run each year - but that donated funds have never been hard to come by.

Members currently work on a rota. If it is their turn, that person turns up at 8am to open the block, before returning at 4pm to close the building and clean the facilities.

Anyone who wants to help is encouraged to call the trust on 07415 343861 or contact Ian and Jeanette Stockley directly.