CLEANERS who look after the public toilets at a flagship £35.5m Northumberland shopping arcade are flushed with success after winning a national accolade.

The standard of service provided by the cleaning team in the loos at Morpeth’s Sanderson Arcade has been given a gleaming seal of approval by industry watchdogs.

The toilets in the Edwardian-style mall’s Austin House building have been given the top grade of a five-star rating in the National Loo of the Year Award.

Assessors say that not only are the toilets kept in pristine condition and regularly checked by staff, but customers are also treated to beautiful fresh flower arrangements when they call in to spend a penny.

The awards are run independently by the British Toilet Association, whose inspectors pay a secret visit to check the standard of entries.

Sanderson Arcade has won awards and attracted more than three million visitors since being opened by Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley two years ago.

Manager Debbie Anderson said: “We want our shoppers to enjoy high standards in every aspect of their visit to the arcade, and people expect those high standards of us.

“Our cleaning team really are the unsung heroes so it’s great to get the recognition they deserve, and we’ll be working hard to ensure we keep hold of the award next year.”

Since their introduction in 1987, the Loo of the Year Awards have put the spotlight on ‘away from home’ public toilets throughout the UK.