'Stop using our church as a toilet!' say Bournemouth churchgoers (From Thisisdorset)
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'Stop using our church as a toilet!' say Bournemouth churchgoers
7:00pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in
A PRIEST is appealing for security lights to deter clubbers from urinating on Bournemouth’s most famous church.
Revd Dr Ian Terry and his parishioners have to endure people using 166-year-old St Peters and its graveyard as a public toilet.
The church is only a few steps away from nightspots including The Mary Shelley, Toko, Bliss, Lava Ignite, and the now closed down Crank.
People buried there include Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, the feminist and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, and the founder of Bournemouth, Lewis Tregonwell.
Revd Terry said: “If somebody was to give us a gift of some more external lighting, that would deter some people.
“You never want people to be abusing the building in this way.
“It’s almost impossible to stop people going into the church gardens, even if we wanted them to.
“Although it’s private land, it’s land that is publicly available to walk through.
“There are public rights of way through our church yards.”
St Peter’s is the base for the Nightclub Chaplaincy, which does outreach work amongst clubbers, and its grounds are also used for a soup kitchen.
Cllr Dave Smith said: “The church does a lot to help the night-time economy and the community.
“So it’s appalling that people feel it necessary to urinate against the mother church of Bournemouth.”
One Christian, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The church is the most wonderful building in Bournemouth.
“I do not understand why fellow townspeople so disgustingly disrespect it.
“It is an offence on Christianity and British culture.”
Last May, a homeless man told the Echo how he had been set upon in St Peter’s churchyard at around 11.30pm by up to 10 men, and left with a broken collarbone.
Comments(38)
rayc
says...
7:37pm Wed 17 Mar 10
Bournefre
says...
8:17pm Wed 17 Mar 10
rayc wrote:Yes, work with people rather than against them - after all, when you have to go...
Perhaps we should adopt the old French custom where an urinal is located on the outside of churches.
In Barcelona the government have installed 'Axixas' on city walls (a novel urinal shaped like a streak of pee down a wall).
-
The urinal wouldn't even need to be fixed to the outside of the church - it could be set to raise and lower as and when it is required, such as the 'Urilift' which is used in other parts of the country. It could even become an attraction to the town.
-
http://www.urilift.c
om/index.php
Palantir
says...
8:55pm Wed 17 Mar 10
It's disgusting to say the least - and in the case of a church or ANY religious building, highly disrespectful! How would the people doing this react if Revd Terry went and did the same on their doorstep?
PokesdownMark
says...
9:41pm Wed 17 Mar 10
On the subject of who should gift the lights... I think the church can afford its own lights. Even though the CofE is down to its last £4.4 billion having lost £1.3 billion on bad investments. Yes billion. Well its been tough on the markets recently.
rotcoddam
says...
10:13pm Wed 17 Mar 10
There should bve public toilet facilities readily available. Bournemouth makes a big splash of its being a holiday venue. It encourages an economy based on attracting vast numbers of morons who are so lacking in any self confidence or social skills, that there only pleasure is getting drunk out of their tiny brains. Yet does not want to provide any facilities for them. No public transport late nights, no toilets etc etc.
.
zabadoo
says...
10:32pm Wed 17 Mar 10
I work in a town in the evenings and I have often seen men leave a pub and then urinate wherever they take a fancy, a "convenient"doorway or even openly for anyone to see. Why don't they use the pub loo? Providing a urinal wouldn't work, these people are just selfish and uncaring and wouldn't use one. I think this behaviour is totally unacceptable and they can be fined £80.
I feel very sorry for the vicar and parishioners and anyone else that has been subjected to this unacceptable and offensive behaviour.
BH10et
says...
11:23pm Wed 17 Mar 10
Nigel Blumenthal
says...
11:50pm Wed 17 Mar 10
Dorset_Born_n_Bread !
says...
11:59pm Wed 17 Mar 10
Its not rocket science.
Dorset_Born_n_Bread !
says...
12:02am Thu 18 Mar 10
Skyrah
says...
12:16am Thu 18 Mar 10
actually open late at night and then anyone relieving themselves in public should be fined and spend the next two or three weekends mopping up after the night time dregs and drunks!
Several shop fronts and rear access points are left stinking of urine or vomit after the weekend and it's about time perpetrators were required to make amends in one way or another.
poolebabe
says...
7:23am Thu 18 Mar 10
Nigel Blumenthal wrote:Unfortunately taking a picture of someone doing a private act without their knowledge is illegal and is punishable by more than a £60 on the spot fine. I personally think anyone caught should be made to clean it up, and someone elses. Preferably the next day when they are suffering a hangover. :D
Bring along your camera and when you see someone using the church or its grounds as a urinal, take a photo of them. Full frontal. The ultimate "name and shame" - would the Echo publish these photos ?
2Much...again!
says...
8:45am Thu 18 Mar 10
poolebabe wrote:Let's all meet at the church with our cameras at 1.30am on Saturday!
Nigel Blumenthal wrote:Unfortunately taking a picture of someone doing a private act without their knowledge is illegal and is punishable by more than a £60 on the spot fine. I personally think anyone caught should be made to clean it up, and someone elses. Preferably the next day when they are suffering a hangover. :D
Bring along your camera and when you see someone using the church or its grounds as a urinal, take a photo of them. Full frontal. The ultimate "name and shame" - would the Echo publish these photos ?
We can be a group of ghostly enthusiasts and 'accidently' get shots of the disrespectful idiots!
madras
says...
11:10am Thu 18 Mar 10
Dorset_Born_n_Bread ! wrote:perhaps a farm-style electric fence would have the desired effect!
A big wire fence around the church would deter most offenders, with only the gates being access to right of way points.
Its not rocket science.
noel1
says...
11:44am Thu 18 Mar 10
poolebabe wrote:Actually that's a common misconception, if you are in a public place then you have few rights preventing you being photographed, and most of those cover child protection, libel, etc, etc.
Nigel Blumenthal wrote:Unfortunately taking a picture of someone doing a private act without their knowledge is illegal and is punishable by more than a £60 on the spot fine. I personally think anyone caught should be made to clean it up, and someone elses. Preferably the next day when they are suffering a hangover. :D
Bring along your camera and when you see someone using the church or its grounds as a urinal, take a photo of them. Full frontal. The ultimate "name and shame" - would the Echo publish these photos ?
Publishing lewd or indecent photgraphs is illegal, but then in this case there would be the 'Public interest' defence as you were showing someone committing a crime.
The only public places that you can't photograph are MOD sites and law courts, and where there are security issues.
Krmgtsm7
says...
12:52pm Thu 18 Mar 10
In Absentia
says...
1:21pm Thu 18 Mar 10
mikey2gorgeous
says...
2:15pm Thu 18 Mar 10
rayc wrote:@rayc - are you sure you're not confusing them with holy water fonts?
Perhaps we should adopt the old French custom where an urinal is located on the outside of churches.
.
Golden blessings to you all!
Bournefre
says...
2:47pm Thu 18 Mar 10
2Much...again! wrote:Ok you try it out first and see how many people it stops from getting caught short; get yourself a high visibility waistcoat so you look really official, take your camera down to a dark churchyard at kicking out time and start taking photographs of people's private parts.
poolebabe wrote:Let's all meet at the church with our cameras at 1.30am on Saturday!
Nigel Blumenthal wrote:Unfortunately taking a picture of someone doing a private act without their knowledge is illegal and is punishable by more than a £60 on the spot fine. I personally think anyone caught should be made to clean it up, and someone elses. Preferably the next day when they are suffering a hangover. :D
Bring along your camera and when you see someone using the church or its grounds as a urinal, take a photo of them. Full frontal. The ultimate "name and shame" - would the Echo publish these photos ?
We can be a group of ghostly enthusiasts and 'accidently' get shots of the disrespectful idiots!
Report back to us on Monday if you're not in A&E.
-
Name and shame - the solution to every problem (and it rhymes).
UndeadMessiah
says...
2:52pm Thu 18 Mar 10
BournemouthMum
says...
3:24pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Nigel Blumenthal
says...
3:28pm Thu 18 Mar 10
"Ok you try it out first and see how many people it stops from getting caught short; get yourself a high visibility waistcoat so you look really official, take your camera down to a dark churchyard at kicking out time and start taking photographs of people's private parts.
Report back to us on Monday if you're not in A&E."
Nice line, Bournefre, but there's a serious part to this: You would only be able to take pictures of people's private parts if they've got them out on display. In which case, they cease to be quite so private, but are a lot more public!
carlspurg
says...
4:23pm Thu 18 Mar 10
glennzilla
says...
5:14pm Thu 18 Mar 10
On a different issue can anybody confirm that those who work for the Nightclub Chaplaincy have been CRB checked?
Nigel Blumenthal
says...
5:52pm Thu 18 Mar 10
glennzilla wrote:Urinating anywhere in public is unacceptable, glennzilla, whether church grounds, shop doorways, or the doorway of your house. If you're a human being, you're supposed to be socialised better than that.
Why is urinating on church grounds more despicable than urinating on a shop doorway? Human public urination is not pleasant to witness but is it really so much more harmful than a dog spraying it's territory?
On a different issue can anybody confirm that those who work for the Nightclub Chaplaincy have been CRB checked?
old git 2
says...
6:12pm Thu 18 Mar 10
glennzilla wrote:Yes - they are CRB checked however this in not necessary as their aim is to work with adults and not children.
Why is urinating on church grounds more despicable than urinating on a shop doorway? Human public urination is not pleasant to witness but is it really so much more harmful than a dog spraying it's territory?
On a different issue can anybody confirm that those who work for the Nightclub Chaplaincy have been CRB checked?
and to clarify a couple of other points - Yes, people do come out of clubs and urinate in the street, despite having used the club / pub toilets.
yes it is an offence to urinate in a public place - it falls under the Public Order act but in order to issue a ticket there must be another person prepared to give a statement saying that they were harressed, alarmed or distressed by seeing the offender urinating.
and finally, police resources on a Friday and Saturday night in Bournemouth town center are higher than at any other time. Unless there is a more serious situation, Police officers will always proactively deal with people that are seen urinating in public.
504gld
says...
6:39pm Thu 18 Mar 10
eyesropen
says...
10:19pm Thu 18 Mar 10
glennzilla
says...
2:28am Fri 19 Mar 10
@Old git 2- The fact that most of the adults that the Chapliancy work with are intoxicated makes them, in my opinion, vunerable to sexual predators. We all know that the clergy have had problems with this before, so I am pleased that they have all been vetted.
poolebabe
says...
12:05pm Sun 21 Mar 10
504gld wrote:Why should they? Maybe people don't want to see men urinating in public. How many Woman do you see squatting down the street having a pee?? Discusting behaviour, and an extreme lack of respect and dignity. If they can't hold their pee til they get home, don't drink so much. Simples.
Why doesn't Bournemouth install the 'pop-up' urinal as used by many other places, they simply automatically rise up out of a manhole cover at night and lower themselves away by morning. Perfect. A few drinks on a night out, then 10 minutes in the fresh air once you're outside and yeah you'll need a pee - and there are no facilities and who is going to wet themselves in public? come on Bournemouth BC get it sorted out.
Personally I do think the idea of peeing in church grounds is vile. Dogs do pee outside, but they don't use toilets and they aren't domesticated. Judging by the amount of men that pee in public, they aren't either. Instead of giving in and tax payers paying for another facility, how about the men take some responsibility.
Bournefre
says...
4:57pm Mon 22 Mar 10
poolebabe wrote:Why should they?
504gld wrote:Why should they? Maybe people don't want to see men urinating in public. How many Woman do you see squatting down the street having a pee?? Discusting behaviour, and an extreme lack of respect and dignity. If they can't hold their pee til they get home, don't drink so much. Simples.
Why doesn't Bournemouth install the 'pop-up' urinal as used by many other places, they simply automatically rise up out of a manhole cover at night and lower themselves away by morning. Perfect. A few drinks on a night out, then 10 minutes in the fresh air once you're outside and yeah you'll need a pee - and there are no facilities and who is going to wet themselves in public? come on Bournemouth BC get it sorted out.
Personally I do think the idea of peeing in church grounds is vile. Dogs do pee outside, but they don't use toilets and they aren't domesticated. Judging by the amount of men that pee in public, they aren't either. Instead of giving in and tax payers paying for another facility, how about the men take some responsibility.
How about to stop people peeing in the churchyard?
Given the option most people would rather pee in a toilet than against a building, but considering the existing facilities are closed late at night there is nowhere else, hence the problem.
Providing facilities where they are needed is hardly 'giving in' but it is a lot more practical than trying to prohibit bodily functions.
poolebabe
says...
6:11pm Mon 22 Mar 10
Nigel Blumenthal
says...
7:20pm Mon 22 Mar 10
"Why should they?
How about to stop people peeing in the churchyard?
Given the option most people would rather pee in a toilet than against a building, but considering the existing facilities are closed late at night there is nowhere else, hence the problem."
But, my friend, there is a very simple answer, if anyone can be bothered to look for it. When you drink, you're in a pub or a bar, right ? All pubs and bars have - have to have - toilets. So why don't these disgusting people simply use the toilets before they leave? The wingeing about "no facilities" is just an excuse for "I can't be bothered to behave like a reasonable member of society".
Bournefre
says...
8:52pm Mon 22 Mar 10
Poolebabe men and women are different; get used to it.
Nigel Blumenthal
says...
9:16pm Mon 22 Mar 10
Bournefre wrote:Bournefre, I take your point - maybe they shouldn't close quite so promptly - but it's really only the same as saying that the supermarkets close at 10:00 on a Saturday night, and therefore I have the right to break in and steal food at 10:30 if I wasn't sufficiently sorted to have done my shopping before they close. Pee before closing, I say !
Nigel you're quite right, pubs do have toilets, but at the end of the night the pubs with their toilets close and don't let people back in, leaving people either to pee against the outside walls of the closed public toilets, or in a dark corner somewhere, hence the problem. Obviously in an ideal situation one would use the toilet before they leave, but you don't always need the toilet before until you're half a mile down the road.
Poolebabe men and women are different; get used to it.
T.BH1
says...
12:59am Tue 23 Mar 10
poolebabe
says...
7:46pm Tue 23 Mar 10
T.BH1 wrote:I wondered how long it would be before a man batted the argument back to a woman issue, it's a weak argument. I just have morals and decency, something lacking from some people.
Poolebabe has obv. not been out recently. Women are often just as disgusting.
.
To Bournefre, men and woman are different yes, but no one can tell me it's acceptable to urinate in public like this. It's disgusting. It's common sense really. You state you already know when the toilets close, (although I have never known a toilet to close before the pub or club does) then empty yourself before they do close, and drink less at the end of the night. People need to take responsibility. That's what's wrong these days, they don't, they expect everyone else too!
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yankee says...
7:20pm Wed 17 Mar 10
It can be written off as a business cost, as well as a bit of good PR.
Or should I name and shame them?