A public disabled toilet in Barwell will be locked overnight because drug users have started sleeping there.
They left behind a duvet and other items, even hanging up clothes in a boiler cupboard.
After the third night the rough sleepers stayed there the parish council decided to lock the Top Town facility at evenings and on the weekends, at the same time as the other toilets.
Previously the disabled unit could be accessed overnight with a RADAR key.
A council spokesman said: “This is not a decision that has been taken lightly, it is not a cost cutting measure and we are sorry that we are unable to provide this facility for residents and visitors to Barwell.
“Unfortunately after discovering rough sleepers and drug paraphernalia in the disabled toilet we have had to make this decision to safeguard and protect our cleaners and other toilet users.
“The council will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with other partner agencies to find a solution to this ongoing problem.”
Barwell Parish Council posted about the decision on its Facebook page.
Councillor Russ Roberts commented on the post, writing: “I was personally in touch with the team that deals with rough sleeping, they are known to the borough and they have been offered accommodation before but choose not to take it.
“So you can help people ... but if they don’t want helping you can’t force them.
“So to the responders, before you make judgement you should make sure you have the facts first.
“It’s not safe for the cleaner who may stab herself on any drug related items and it’s not safe for those people the toilets were intended for.”
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However, several people commented to say that the sleepers should be helped.
One person said: “You see pictures every day on social media and on the internet.
"Politicians asleep in the Houses of Parliament through debates and being paid hundreds of pounds a day for it.
“Well put these hundreds of pounds a day into accommodation for the homeless.”
What the borough council said
A spokesperson for Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council said: “We have experienced similar drug misuse issues at the Station Road toilets [in Hinckley].
“The disabled toilet is designed to be available to disabled users at any time using a Radar key which should only be used by people with disabilities.
"Unfortunately, RADAR keys are easily obtained by people who are not entitled to use one.
“Once the toilets have been misused by drug users, the facility is left in a disgusting state which then creates a safety issue for any legitimate users who wish to use the facility as well as the cleaning staff.
“We have been working closely with the police and doing targeted enforcement work to try to tackle this issue.
“We have also closed the facility overnight from time to time when it is necessary to protect it from further misuse and damage.”
The Station Road toilets recently had to close for two weeks for a £7,000 refit after they were repeatedly targeted by vandals.
They have now re-opened.
