A TAUNTON businesswoman claims to have lost money because of...a portable toilet 100 yards away.

Pat Butler says clients have been ringing up to cancel appointments at Tone-a-cise, in the High Path, Kingston Road, because they can't find anywhere to park.

The problem has been caused by the temporary loo installed up on short-stay bays at Kilkenny Car Park for workers carrying out improvements to Kilkenny Court care home.

"I'm talking about a couple of customers a day for the past month who are unable to get here," said Ms Butler.

"I'm a small business and it makes a difference to me and to them."

She said customers, who undergo no-impact gentle workouts on machines to improve their mobility, are unable to use the free short stay spaces as they have been fenced off.

To make things worse, Kilkenny Car Park is usually full during the day with train passengers' vehicles as the station car park has been closed during the building of a multi-storey stack.

And most of the surroundings streets have residents' parking.

"Some of my customers have mobility issues so can't park far away because they'd struggle to get to me," added Ms Butler.

"As well as losing trade, it's affecting my customers' mobility because they need to exercise regularly.

"I don't know why the council has sited the loos on the short stay parking area - they should have put it outside Kilkenny Court where they're doing the work."

A Somerset West and Taunton Council spokeswoman said: "SWT own the car park and Kilkenny Court, where work is being carried out including painting, new guttering and fascias.

"An area covering the limited waiting bays - one hour, no return within one hour - has been fenced off to accommodate the workers.

"Most of the work is now complete and arrangements will be made to remove the compound as soon as possible.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused."