A petition has been launched to save a public toilet block which is destined to be demolished before the end of the year.
In April, Diss Town Council voted to allow the public toilet block in Mere's Mouth to be demolished after the building was revealed to be structurally unsound.
The decision was met with opposition from people in the town, who raised concerns about the distance to the remaining public toilets in town from the central shopping area.
Now, more than 900 signatories and almost 40 businesses have put their name to a petition to request the council change its mind on the future of the toilet block.
At a full town council meeting on Wednesday, May 16, Birgitte Mager - owner of Diss Publishing Bookshop, who has organised the petition - said: 'The proposed closure is completely against the public's wishes and defies all logic.
'This is the busiest place in Diss in terms of footfall and a natural place for people to spend a pennie.'
Highlighting the support the petition had gained in just four days, she called for the council to reverse its decision.
'It's the will of the tax-paying residents and the rent-paying businesses that public conveniences are kept at Mere's Mouth,' she argued.
'The demolition of the toilets is perceived by many to be a symbol of the terminal decline of Diss and may be the final straw in a never ending saga of bad news.
'If the toilets are demolished without being rebuilt, many of us will feel let down.
'Please can the council reverse its decision and have another stab to honour the will of the electorate that you are here to support?'
Following Ms Mager's plea, mayor Trevor Wenman explained why the council had taken its decision.
'The toilets that are there now are not good enough for Diss,' he explained. 'We want something that is going to last 40 years and is worth spending the money on.
'The timing is all wrong and we are doing our best in partnership with South Norfolk Council. We need to work in partnership with other people who have got expertise.'
The petition will now be presented to South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon.
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