A ground-breaking scheme to revamp Tendring's public toilets will be considered by councillors.

It will cost the district council £5 million to rebuild and revamp its 15 worst conveniences.

The authority has already been forced to close a number of ageing or vandalised sites amid the rising bill, but it might have come up with an answer.

It could become the first authority in the country to enter a contract with a private company to design, build and maintain the loos.

A recent report from Tendring Council's public toilets working group recommended three sites be demolished - Garden Road, Jaywick, Magdalen Road, Clacton, and Dovercourt Cemetery, and five more considered for closure.

It prompted the service development and delivery committee to ask officers how to finance a rebuilding and refurbishment scheme.

They have now produced a report, which will be considered by the committee on Tuesday.

It says that, under a public finance initiative (PFI), the council would pay a private company to design, finance and maintain the toilets.

The report says the main advantage is the transfer of risk to the private sector and the availability of funding from the Government.

There could be major set-up costs for specialist advice, contract costs and bidding expenses, and officers have told the members it might not be the most appropriate approach.

Government guidance says the other funding methods would be more appropriate for investments under £20 million. Even if the council replaced all its toilets it would fall £5 million short.

Tendring Council previously revealed it will cost more than £440,000 to build extra facilities in Clacton town centre, £580,000 to replace two units in West End Dovercourt with a single unit, and £550,000 to revamp Walton's town centre toilets.

It also splashes out more than £30,000 each year on patching up buildings damaged by vandals.