An angry grandmother claims she was told her grandson could not use a disabled toilet because it was being used as storage.

Jane Robinson, of Walton Road, Walton, was spending the day with her family on Frinton beach when she went to change her disabled grandson Riley, seven, in the toilets on the Greensward.

She claims she was told by a council worker the disabled toilet was being used for storage and was instructed to use the baby changing room.

However, with the changing table too small for Riley, who has cerebral palsy, Mrs Robinson was had to change him on the floor.

She said: “The whole thing made me so angry. I was charged 40p for going in which in normal circumstances I wouldn’t mind, but I couldn’t even use the toilet I wanted to.

“I’d like to think we are in a world where there are facilities available for everyone.

“I later found out that there are two disabled toilets in the block, but when I looked at those ones a few days later but there was still no room for children with disabilities.”

“This has been an ongoing issue over the years and I think they need to improve those toilets.”

A spokesman for Tendring Council, which runs and manages the toilets, denied Mrs Robinson’s claim she had been wrongly informed about what facilities were on offer and said she was advised about the different changing equipment that was available.

He said: “This version of events conflicts with our understanding of the situation.

“The lady asked to use the parent and baby changing and feeding room and was advised that there were disabled toilets available and the same baby changing equipment available in the ladies side of the toilet.

“The council has also installed four changing places sites on the seafront and open space areas in Clacton, Walton and Dovercourt. “These sites have state of the art equipment including height adjustable changing benches and sinks, hoists and showers.

“People wishing to obtain a key free of charge for these sites need to complete an application form with evidence of criteria.”