ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Public lavatories strong enough to withstand a bomb blast are to be built in Moscow. The move follows a spate of Islamist terror attacks on the Russian capital over recent years.

Due to be up and running by the end of the year, the new lavatories will be built of ultra-strong fibrous concrete and their internal fittings will be made from a mixture of steel and reinforced plastic. "This lavatory can function on its own and is vandal and terrorist-proof," said Anatoly Ashikhmin, an official involved in the project.

Washroom users will be allowed to spend a maximum of thirty minutes inside before the door opens automatically and an alarm sounds, alerting the emergency services. Besides their bunker-like properties, the cubicles will also be heated and the temperature will never plunge to below 16 degrees Celsius, whatever the weather outside.

The new toilets, which were launched at Moscow's Clean City Expo event in June, will be energy-efficient and feature optional solar panels.

The latest terrorist attack on the city occurred in January when a suicide bomber struck Moscow's busiest airport, killing 37 people.