Hibs ultra group target new public toilets with graffiti as locals hit out
New public toilets in the Meadows public park in Edinburgh have been vandalised by Hibs ultra group Block Seven before having a chance to be opened to the public.
The building, off Middle Meadow Walk, has had its rear wall covered in graffiti by thugs in recent weeks.
An image show HFC is large capital letters, spray painted silver with a green background. 'Block 7 vandals' and 'St Patricks 11' are tagged at either side.
Originally set to open before the summer season, the toilets are now set to open later this month due to the vandalism.
Alistair, a pensioner who lives nearby, said: 'My wife's already written to the council, because it says on the council website it'll be ready for the [summer].
'It's now early July. It goes on and on now. And they missed the Meadows Festival, they took these [temporary] toilets away during the festival.
'I think it's just insane that it's taken so long. We live nearby, and of course, we get people coming and urinating where they shouldn't.'
Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Margaret Graham said: 'I'm extremely disappointed to see that our brand-new facilities have been defaced by graffiti.
"There is of course a real spectrum of 'graffiti', from formal murals like Colinton Tunnel which have the consent and support of the community, through to offensive tags.
"The majority of the complaints we receive are about the latter. We're arranging for it to be removed.'
The council has previously installed temporary toilets in the Meadows and other public parks in the city during busy periods.
It has said in a news release previously that the toilets were set to open before the summer season, and a council website said in November last year that it was set to open in April or May.
However, the website now says that the three toilet banks are set to open during 'summer', with a recent news release saying they would be completed during the month of July.
The new toilets are part of a £1 million investment across the city to provide more free public restrooms, with four new public toilet banks included in the funding.
One of the four, located in South Queensferry, opened at the end of June. The new toilet blocks will feature three regular toilet cubicles, an accessible toilet and a Changing Places toilet, as well as tool storage for local community groups.
Each will also feature a green roof, bike racks, benches and a drinking water fountain.
Another local resident, Jamie, had sympathy for the council on the delays, saying: 'These days, it doesn't really matter which contractors work.
'No one's available. So I kind of understand. I can't get my stuff at home fixed, it takes bloody months. I imagine the council's in the same situation.
'You can't just find a plumber. Now the fact that Scottish Water had to come in and connect it – I can understand that that takes months, because it's Scottish Water.'
However, he said that he was concerned that stones from the construction had ended up in the green space around the construction site.
Follow-up works to plumb in the toilets and otherwise prepare the site have been ongoing since.
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