Baby saved from injury in Bognor public loo

Rebecca Ashwell had to react quickly after the vandalised baby changing unit in the Bedford Street conveniences collapsed when she put her young son on it.

She was able to grab hold of Jason Ashwell-Cross, who was nine weeks old, before he plunged to the hard floor along with the wall fixture.

Her swift actions ensured that he escaped with just a small bruise on his head.

"I managed to save him hitting the floor. It could have harmed him," she said. "What happened was quite worrying."

She took him to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester for a check up. Doctors assured her that Jason would be all right after the accident. Rebecca said: "I've told all my friends what has happened.

"People should be careful when they use these units. You never know what is going to happen."

She informed toilet operator Arun District Council last Thursdayof Jason's narrow escape. Its officials reacted by quickly removing the unit within an hour of being informed.

They also took out the baby changing unit in the neighbouring men's loo because the equipment had been damaged to such an extent that it posed a risk to any users.

The potentially serious nature of the incident has caused the district council to review all its toilets to ensure the public's safety is guaranteed as much as possible.

A district council spokesman said: "Unfortunately, incidents of vandalism such as these are common in Arun's public conveniences, particularly in Bedford Street.

"Though the council inspects all public toilets on a daily basis and tries its best to address these problems, the frequency of the attacks makes it very difficult to ensure such facilities remain in the safe and clean manner in which they are installed."

The accident occurred at about 2.30pm last Wednesday.

Rebecca, of Elizabeth Road in Chichester, was in Bognor visiting her partner who works on the buses around the town.

She called into the Bedford Street loos with Jason to change his nappy.

She pulled down the baby changing unit and put Jason on its shelf.

But the unit promptly collapsed and fell towards the floor.

"Luckily, I felt the unit move," Rebecca explained. "I managed to catch it and Jason as well with my hands."

Another woman in the toilets saw what had happened. She helped Rebecca ensure the baby changing unit did not fall on to the floor.

Between them, the women wiped down an area by the side of the basins where Rebecca carried on changing Jason's nappy.

She added: "I have used other units in other toilets, like the market ones at Chichester, and they have been fine. The problem seemed to be with that one on that particular day."