By Cem Turhan
University cleaning Services have decided to put locks on toilet roll holders in toilets across campus in order to tackle the epidemic of toilet roll thefts. This involves using a new variation on the classic toilet roll dispenser so that students cannot remove the roll as was possible with the previous holders.
YUSU President Tim Ngwena told Vision: “Students have complained in the library that there is no loo roll. Students shouldn’t be stealing loo rolls.” On the issue of price he said: “If you buy in bulk as a house it will only cost you around 70p each, collectively.”
Some students believe it is the wrong decision. Alice Green, a second year student, says: “There’s better things to spend money on considering how dilapidated some of the buildings and toilets are, and it’s also a little bit patronizing.” However orders for the new toilet roll dispensers have already been made in a batch order along with the new dispensers intended for Heslington East to save on money.
The United Kingdom alone gets through 83 million toilet rolls per day, and now some students blame this on the recession. Safa Sharifi, a second year politics student said: “We can’t have people stealing loo rolls, because the next thing you know people will be stealing PCs and maybe even council owned signs.”
In Iowa of the United States of America, a woman was charged with stealing three toilet rolls from a courthouse with a maximum charge of three years of imprisonment. Also in Nottingham, a middle aged woman was cautioned after stealing toilet roll from a public toilet, everyday for three weeks. YUSU hopes these changes to campus will prevent anything like this happening at York University. Tim Ngwena added: “The University has made this decision to stop this issue.”