SHOPKEEPERS in Burnley town centre are calling for action to stop people using their doorways as urinals.

The traders say they often arrive at work on Monday morning to find the mess left by weekend drinkers who have spent a penny on their premises.

"It's quite disturbing," said Audrey Hall, proprietor of Bourne's on Yorkshire Street. "One man even decided to urinate in the doorway of this shop while my husband was working inside. He ran off before my husband had time to open the door.

"He left a mark which is still there. It seems that some people are treating places like this as toilets. I know many other people have the same problem."

Mrs Hall, president of Burnley and District Chamber of Trade, is taking the matter up with the police and community forum. She wants police to be on the lookout for the problem.

"There should be more watch over the weekend," she fumed.

Traders say the problem is made worse by the amount of rubbish left in the town centre over the weekend - although they say the litter problem has improved recently.

Mrs Hall added: "I have been in to town on a Sunday when all the litter bins have been overflowing. We were concerned that the bins were not large enough, but the problem seems to have got better over the past few weeks."

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