ROLL up, roll up for the Mystery Tour.

Visitors to Bournemouth Town Hall on Tuesday evening might have wondered what the 53-seater coach was doing parked outside.

Was it to whisk councillors away on some expenses-fuelled jaunt to London’s West End?

The reality, if they had known it, might have raised a sympath-etic chuckle rather than an indignant cry of outrage.

It was a councillors’ tour of nine of Bournemouth’s public conveniences to decide if they should be opened up again.

Bournemouth council also plans to consult local traders to gauge interest in a community toilet scheme whereby businesses would open their facilities to all.

Once on board, your reporter and the 18 members of the joint environment and children and families scrutiny panel learned that as an extra treat one more toilet was actually being added to the tour.

There was a carnival atmosphere on the coach as opposition leader Cllr Claire Smith suggested a sing-song and generously handed around sweets.

Councillors joked about how the trip was not on expenses and Cllr Mark Anderson quipped: “I want to remind everyone I live in this road and there’s some first class toilets at number one.”

The first two stops were Meyrick Park and Cemetery Junction, which councillors agreed should remain closed.

Cllr Anne Rey joked: “If we don’t stop too long we can get back in time for Britain’s Got Talent.”

Cllr Peter Charon said: “This is a very open and transparent process.

“This is what it’s all about.”

Councillors agreed to support a recommendation that public toilets at Kings Road, Charminster, be demolished but deferred a decision on Peters Hill toilets pending discussions with Bournemouth University, which owns the local listed building.

On arrival at Pelham’s Park, the committee was starting to get the handle on the situation.

Councillors agreed to support plans for a new toilet block for the park by 2010.

They also agreed that toilets at Kings Park be demolished after hearing that there had been problems with youngsters climbing on the roof and that other toilets were available.

Toilets in the circular listed building at Holdenhurst Road should remain out of action but may be converted into an art gallery, and toilets at Avenue Road in the town centre should also remain closed they decided.

Two-and-a-half hours later, as the coach pulled up at the town hall, several people announced that they needed the toilet as, ironically, there were none on the coach.