UNISEX school toilets are to be introduced in East Lancashire in a bid to tackle bullying.

Guidelines for the government's nationwide Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme recommend the move, complete with blurred glass walls, locking cubicles and central sinks.

But the move has met with widespread protests about lack of privacy and problems with sexual harassment that it could create.

The government said school toilets are often a hotspot for bullying, leading some pupils to avoid using them, resulting in continence problems.

It says unisex toilets would discourage pupils from congregating there and reduce opportunities for bullying.

Urinals would be a thing of the past, and privacy will be paramount, guildelines stress.

The first phase of the eight new BSF schools in Burnley and Pendle are under construction.

Communal washing areas with separate toilets are planned for parts of Shuttleworth College, Padiham, one of the three schools to open in September 2008.

Unisex toilets are also proposed at Unity College in Towneley Park, Burnley, and Sir John Thursby Community College/Ridgewood School in Burnley, set to open in September 2009.

Unisex toilets may also be considered when Blackburn with Darwen Council gets its £150million BSF schools.

Burnley Council leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle, said: "It could lead to all sorts of sexual advances. It's a recipe for disaster."

Nick Seaton, chairman of the national campaign for real education, said: "A lot of parents will extremely concerned."

Paul Worthington, Lanc-ashire County Council's principal project officer for BSF, said: "The government is encouraging use of unisex toilet areas as they could help against school bullying, and improve student supervision.

Peter Morgan, director of children's services at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "Design detail such as the introduction of unisex toilets has not yet been considered and will be subject to consultation."