because they have been left to fall into an "appalling'' state of disrepair.

Marion Tracy, of Kent, England, wrote a letter to the editor of The Royal Gazette about the conditions of the bathrooms.

Works Minister Leonard Gibbons said he was unaware of the problems but promised to rectify the station immediately.

"That's the first I've heard of it,'' he said. "If people would call me instead of appealing to a third party, things like this will be solved a lot quicker.'' Mrs. Tracy said that she visited Shelly Bay last month and she and during her stay at the beach she went to the women's washroom.

"I was absolutely appalled that the public toilets could be allowed to get into such a disgusting state,'' she wrote.

"In the ladies' rest room the wash hand basin had been wrenched from the wall and was gushing water constantly over the floor...the toilet itself was overflowing onto the floor with excrement and filthy toilet tissue.

"The whole room was filled with flies. The odour was appalling and on further investigation of the men's toilet and both the changing rooms were in a similar state of disrepair.'' Mrs. Tracy said that the situation should never have occurred and she left Shelly Bay beach and will not return.

Mr. Gibbons said he sent a team down to assess the situation and he intended to clean the mess up immediately.

He pointed out that while his Ministry was responsible fixing the damaged appliances it was the Shelly Bay Plaza concession that was to be held accountable if the bathrooms were in a messy state.

BROKEN -- Hazel Burke of New Jersey demonstrates the damaged drain in the ladies' bathroom at Shelly Bay beach. The water pours out onto the floor.