A GREAT-grandmother spent 12 hours overnight in a public toilet after being accidentally locked in.

Gwyneth Coles, 77, was forced to spend the night alone in the Eastgate toilets, in Pickering, North Yorkshire.

Mrs Coles' ordeal began at 7pm, on Monday night, when she went to use the Ryedale District Council toilets as she returned home from holiday.

But an attendant failed to hear the widower, of Potter Hill, Pickering, as he closed the main door and accidentally locked her in.

Unable to get out or alert passers-by, and without a mobile phone, the pensioner had to wait until the toilets were opened at 6am.

She said: "This will go down in family history - the night grand-grandma got locked in the loo. I think it's hilarious now, although it was pretty traumatic at the time.

"I was coming back home from holiday in Inverness when it happened.

"When I got to Pickering I decided to spend a penny at the loos in Eastgate.

"When I was inside, the caretaker came along and I heard him shout 'anyone in?' I said 'Yes, I'm in here, I won't be a minute', but he can't have heard and I could hear the door being locked.

"He should have checked the cubicles really.

"I went to bang on the door and was shouting out, but he didn't hear.

"If I'd had my mobile phone with me, I'd have been all right, I could have rung someone, but I didn't.

"The council have been very, very good about it. It's just one of those things that happen."

Mrs Coles put four jumpers on under her jacket and mac and settled down for the night. She even managed a few hours sleep.

Worried friends contacted police when there was no sign of her on Monday evening.

John Davison, director of operations at the council, said: "We are extremely sorry that this has happened.

"The toilet attendant did shout out and we think Mrs Coles shouted back, but he does not seem to have heard her.

"But we would normally expect the attendant to go into the toilets physically and check them before closing.

"I think she is a fabulous lady and she has taken this difficulty very well and has put a brave face on it.

"We don't know how this happened, and we are very upset that it has, and we are holding a full investigation.

"We are looking into ways to ensure that this does not happen again, whether that be an alarm system or something else."

He said the council had not discussed compensation and the issue would be up to the authority's solicitors.