A TOWN that has one of the country's best cemeteries also has one of the best places to spend a penny.

In October, Chester-le-Street was a runner-up in the 2006 Cemetery of the Year Awards for its Ropery Lane site.

Now Chester-le-Street District Council, which runs the cemetery, has picked up a five-star rating for its attendant-run public toilets in the Loo of the Year Award, run by the British Toilet Association.

The awards are run annually to encourage the highest standards in "away from home" toilets.

The Chester-le-Street loos, which are in Foundry Lane behind the Queen's Head pub, were opened in August last year in place of facilities in The Burns, which had to be replaced when the town's Tesco supermarket was built.

Spending a penny at the loos, which are open from 9am to 5pm, costs 20p, but they are constantly monitored for cleanliness. CCTV cameras film the entrance to the building and easy listening music plays in the background.

James Ritson, area supervisor for refuse and street care, said: "The toilets are a far cry from what we used to have at The Burns and are in a more central location.

"They are in a council car park being used as the temporary site of the market while the work is going on in the Market Place.

"There is a 20p charge, but the toilets are well maintained and look spotless. We have had no graffiti and the only vandalism was outside when a downcomer was pulled down.

"We have a comments book and most people are complimentary. Most people would rather pay a fee and have somewhere clean than go somewhere free that is dirty."