'Turdis' bus driver toilet removed after complaints

A toilet for bus drivers nicknamed the "Turdis" has been removed just four weeks after it was "dumped" on a residential street.

The loo, erected on 4 December as part of Transport for London's (TfL) bid to improve conditions for its drivers, was criticised by local residents.

Although it does not require planning permission, TfL said it had received consent to install the toilet.

The facility was removed "after hearing the local community's views", TfL said.

The toilet on Melody Road in Biggin Hill has been vandalised several times since it was installed last month.

TfL said "courtesy letters did not reach all residents", but before the toilet was built it had engaged with the local planning authority and highways managers to secure their agreement.

Local resident Stephanie Willis, 33, previously said she thought "someone had photoshopped Dr Who's Tardis on to my driveway" when she saw images of the toilet.

"It was just dumped there, as if it fell out of the sky," she added.

"I have never seen anything like that on a residential street before, it is just hideous."

Nick Fairholme, director of project and programme delivery at TfL, said: "We try to be mindful of residents when we install these important facilities and know there are concerns about this particular site.

"We continue to work closely with the borough and local community to identify the most suitable solution."