FOR the third year running East Hampshire District Council has been awarded five gold stars in the annual national 'Loo of the Year 2007' competition. Grayshott, Horndean and Petersfield were each awarded for their new, refurbished and modernised public toilets. The new toilets in Grayshott were opened by MP James Arbuthnot in September and incorporate an accessible toilet for the disabled, a family or ambulant disabled toilet with baby-changing facilities, and two unisex toilet cubicles. The toilets are the most recent edition to the Headley Road car park and have been built together with a new police office. Local PCSO Jim Leggat will hold fortnightly beat surgeries from the office and is confident that the scheme will work very well as a base and as a venue for regular meetings with residents. He will listen and advise members of the public on issues such as drug abuse, anti-social behaviour and environmental issues. The council has now accumulated six five-star awards, as well as the prestigious Best Public Toilet in England, won in 2005. The design team led by Brian Redwood, environmental services technical officer, with Trevor Bell, architectural assistant, have created designs that enjoy national recognition both for their innovation and flair. Following the review of public toilets carried out by the council during 2003 and 2004 and as a result of the views expressed by the general public, the council decided that they would create 'Loos to be Proud of' within East Hampshire. The programme of modernisation and refurbishment was put in hand at the end of 2004. There were around 450 entries by local authorities in the 'loo of the year' competition and gaining these awards is a very large feather in the cap of the council's environmental health team.