Pub chain scoops top prize

D Wetherspoon has won the much coveted UK Overall Winners Trophy in the 23rd Anniversary Loo of the Year Awards competition to find the very best 'away fr om home' toilets in the UK.

Awards managing director, Mike Bone comments:“The UK's hospitality sector is placing significantly increasing importance on provision of first class toilets that contain the facilities their customers need and expect when visiting their premises.Wetherspoon's is continually raising the bar within this sector providing excellent and unique toilets in its pubs throughout the UK.

Entries for Loo of the Year Awards continue at high levels despite the economic situation and over 1400 entries were received in 2010. Standards in Awards entrant's toilets are also improving - 72% of the total entries achieved the top 5 Star grading (58% in 2009).

Other major UK Trophy Winners were: ASDA Stores for individual category entries, Ceredigion County Council for public toilet entries,Haven Holidays for corporate provider entries,Tesco - TC Contractors for accessible facilities, Ceredigion County Council for Changing Places Toilets, ASDA for baby change facilities for the second year running , Harrogate Borough Council for ECO friendly toilets, Staffordshire County Council for Toilets in Education and Highland Council for Local Authority Toilet entries.

Trophy winners in the associated Attendant of the Year Awards, for the important people who put the sparkle and pride into the UK's toilets,were: Sandwich Town Council (individual attendant team), Larne Borough Council(inhouse cleaning team) and Danfo UK (external contactor team). Cleaning and FM companies recognised included Carlisle Cleaning & Support Services, City Facilities Management, Dougland, GBM Support Services Group,Mitie,TC Contractors and Wettons.

Representatives from the top twenty Local Authorities public toilet providers - the Loo of the Year Awards 'Premier League', were also honoured at the prestigious Awards Presentation held on 3 rd December at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth along with thirty four members of the Awards 'Champions League', the Standards of Excellence for participants achieving five or more five star Award grades. Popular entertainer and TV show host Les Dennis provided the after lunch entertainment with a special edition of a unique 'Flushing Fortunes' quiz show.

The 2010 Awards were run in association with Airdri, the UK based manufacturer of warm air dryers, British Toilet Association,The Changing Places Consortium, and The British Cleaning Council.The four national tourism bodies - Visit England,Visit Scotland, Visit Wales and The Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Danfo, flush-wiser (PHS Washrooms), Healthmatic, Lotus Professional and SCA Tork also supported this year's Awards.

Full details of the 2010 Awards results are available on the Awards website: www.loo.co.uk