A Winchester campaigner has slammed civic chiefs for spending £1m on a new cultural centre while the city's public toilets are a "disgrace".

Alan Weeks, chairman of the Winchester Residents' Association, branded the city a "municipal pigsty" and said it was appalling that tourists to England's historic capital should have to use such out-dated loos.

In particular, Mr Weeks laid into the state of the toilets next to Abbey Gardens, which he says are too old and smelly and give a terrible impression to tourists stepping off coaches in The Broadway.

Mr Weeks said: "I've been into the men's toilets at Abbey Gardens and the smell is disgusting.

"These toilets could have been put up as long ago as the Second World War and they ought to be rebuilt so this city has first-class facilities for visitors and not the embarrassing ones we have at the moment.

"It's more important to have a decent environment with respectable public toilets and paving stones that aren't cracked, than it is to spend millions of pounds on a cultural centre.

"Winchester is becoming a municipal pigsty and more needs to be done to stop this decline."

The forum also heard that the 60-year-old Jewry Street toilets, refurbished last year to the tune of £8,000, might have to shut because alcoholics and drug users are continually abusing the facilities.

However Eloise Appleby, head of tourism at the city Council, said: "The subject of public toilets is always a difficult one.

"The tourism service would obviously love to see improved toilet facilities, and there are major changes planned for Jewry Street as part of the new Cultural Centre project.

"But the reality is that there simply isn't the money available at this time to give the same treatment to the Abbey Gardens facilities."

Steve Tilbury, the council's director of community services, added: "The Cultural Centre is a joint project between the city council and Hampshire County Council. It is an opportunity to provide a whole range of services, including a library, that are extremely important to the daily lives of residents across the district.

"Although the toilets are an important local facility we know that the services that will be provided by the Cultural Centre are also highly valued by our residents and seen as vital."