CONTROVERSIAL unisex toilets have proved successful in stamping out bullying at an East Lancashire superschool.

The head of Shuttleworth College, Padiham, has revealed that despite the initial criticism there has not been a single incident of bullying in both of the school’s unisex toilets.

Headteacher Martin Burgess said only the single block of traditional toilets, which were added into the design for the building off Burnley Road as it is also used by the community, has had incidents of bullying.

Plans for unisex toilets were introduced in East Lancashire in a bid to tackle bullying under guidelines for the Government’s nationwide Building Schools for the Future (BSF), programme.

It recommended the move as toilets blocks were often a hot-spot for bullying. It found that nationally some pupils avoided using them throughout the day, which can result incontinence problems.

As a result it concluded that making toilets unisex would discourage pupils from congregating and reduce opportunities for bullying.

Mr Burgess said: “My predecessor supported the scheme and thought it was a good idea and I think it is a superb idea.

“There is nowhere the kids can be bullied, because there is nowhere to hide.

“They are not a place where gangs can hang out and there is also no smoking in the toilets which can be problem in schools.

“We find that kids who wouldn’t normally go to the toilets for fear they be picked on and bullied are using them.

“Some children would go a full day without using the toilets so they wouldn’t get bullied.

“Unisex toilets have eliminated the bullying and we find we have bullying problems in ordinary toilets, but those are only a handful of incidents.”

Shuttleworth College opened in September 2008 as part of the first phase of Lancashire County Council’s £250million BSF scheme.