‘Scary and disgusting’ Lucy Road toilets finally demolished near Southend seafront

The demolition of the long-derelict Lucy Road public toilets has been welcomed by local residents, following years of crime, anti-social behaviour and repeated reports of sexual activity inside the building, including the alleged presence of so-called ‘glory holes’ in the men’s toilets.

The Lucy Road public toilets had long been an eyesore and a source of concern for residents and visitors alike. Once a basic but busy seafront facility, the block became associated with crime, anti-social behaviour and behaviour many people described as intimidating and unsafe.

The site was first partly closed in 2018 after Southend Council took action in response to repeated incidents inside the two toilet blocks. Locals had for years described the toilets as a magnet for trouble, with calls for decisive action growing louder as conditions worsened.

The toilets were later earmarked for demolition as part of the wider Seaways redevelopment. However, after years of delays and inaction, that project was eventually cancelled, leaving the toilets standing and continuing to deteriorate.

Over time, the site’s reputation had darkened. The women’s toilet block was largely destroyed in an arson attack. In 2017, a victim reported she was raped by a man in the vicinity of the public toilets in the early hours of the morning. In 2020, a man was stabbed inside the men’s toilet block.

The men’s toilets were also widely reported to have been used as a regular dogging spot, with repeated complaints about sexual activity taking place inside. These reports added to growing safety concerns and reinforced calls for the site to be removed altogether.

Once, the toilets were heavily used by tourists visiting the seafront and by late-night revellers heading home after nights out at TALK nightclub, Chameleon nightclub, or stopping for food at the ‘Hole in the Wall’.

Racheal Gevaudan said: “I will never ever forget the distinct smell of these toilets… or the strange sights we saw in them after a night in Tots/Talk.”

Some residents remember a very different era for public toilets in Southend. Keith Mower reminisced: “In the good old days both the seafront and high street under ground toilets had attendants and they were kept in a reasonable condition!”

Additional photos by Martin Halliday.