A FAMILY have slammed council bosses for ruining a birthday celebration for a young boy with a rare chromosome disorder.

Kris and Karen Procek made a 110-mile round trip to Largs for mark their child Rory turning 10 but say the closure of a lifeline toilet facility marred the day.

They picked Largs because it has a Changing Places loo as Rory's condition means he can't go to the toilet independently - only to arrive and find a scrawled 'out of order' note on the door.

The family used the PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society) website to chose the destination for their trip, and hit out at North Ayrshire Council for not alerting online bosses to the facility's closure.

Karen said: "It was very disappointing as we came all the way to Largs because we knew it had a Changing Places toilet.

"It was Rory's tenth birthday and he is a big fan of trains so we drove from Bonnybridge to Croy before getting the train down to Largs.

"There is a website which co-ordinates the changing places in Scotland - and there is a map. They rely on organisations such as councils to let them know if their Changing Places toilet is out of order.

"We understand things break down but we would have selected somewhere else if we'd been made aware that the toilets were closed."

Fiona and Kris have been Changing Places toilet campaigners since Rory was a little boy.

Fiona said: "It is fantastic that campaigners in Largs have worked hard to get a Changing Places toilet in the town. I saw lots of wheelchairs on the prom during our visit and I wondered if others had also been left disappointed.

"It is a fundamental human right to be able to use a toilet - and vital for a tourist town like Largs to have one that caters for everyone."

Changing Places toilets are designed to meet the needs of people with complex care needs. They are adapted to allow access for a wheelchair and one or two carers, as well as having a mobile hoist and a non slip floor.

Councillor Alan Hill said he was upset to learn of the family's poor first impression of the town.

He said: “I am so sorry to hear about Rory’s experience whilst visiting Largs.

"The toilet was installed to encourage people with special needs to visit Largs and whilst facilities will occasionally breakdown or require repair, the online portal should have been updated. I understand that there has been an issue with blocked pipes in the Changing Places Toilet however the web site was clearly not updated. On behalf of the council, I would like to apologise to the family for this oversight.

"I very much hope that this will not cloud the family's view of Largs and that we will see them again here at some point in the future.”

A spokesperson for PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society) said: "Unfortunately this toilet has been subject to frequent vandalism and misuse. The most recent issue, which resulted in the toilet being closed, was unfortunately not reported to us however North Ayrshire Council have responded to say that they will report all closures to us in future."

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “The sink is currently out of order. We are carrying out repairs as quickly as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.”