A make-up saleswoman is calling for security staff to be more vigilant when closing public toilets after she was locked in for more than an hour.

Zoe Pajak, 41, passed out inside a cubicle in the toilets in New Rents, Ashford, and awoke to discover the entrance had been locked.

A passer-by came to her aid after hearing her calls for help before the fire service was called to cut through the metal barriers.

Ms Pajak, who lives in Kennington, said: “The security staff didn’t check to see if any of the cubicles were locked.

"Luckily it was still light otherwise I would have been terrified.”

The incident happened in May, but Ms Pajak has just reported it to Ashford Borough Council.

An council spokesman said: “We own the New Rents toilets and the staff who check and lock them are employed through an external contractor.

“The council was made aware of the toilets in question being unlocked on Friday, May 18 but no incident had been reported to us.

"We require all toilet contractors to conduct visual checks of premises before locking them."