by Simon Tulett
stulett@thekmgroup.co.uk

Male shoppers will find something pout of the ordinary when they next spend a penny at a refurbished Dartford store.

Unusual additions to the toilets at Hawley Garden Centre could catch gents out when they get caught short.

The tongue-in-cheek move is part of a £1.3 million programme of improvements, designed to give customers at the Hawley Road centre a more comfortable shopping experience.

And Janice East, one of its directors, is confident it will not backfire, or splash back, on the business.

She said: “We wanted to have something a bit gimmicky for the gents and they’re something different, aren’t they?

“I think most people will have a laugh about it. We got in touch with the mayor and he thought it was funny so he’s coming down to officially open them.”

She first heard about the £500 urinals while on a trip to Amsterdam, later ordering them from Dutch company Bathroom Mania, which specialises in unusual toilet design.

A description of the “kisses” urinal on its website says it “transforms a daily event into a blushing experience”.

He added: “This is one target men will never miss.”

Sue Knott, who works at the garden centre, is bursting to see the reaction from customers who have been using temporary portable toilets during the building work.

Managers’ lips have been sealed until now as they tried to keep the wacky design secret from male staff.

Sue said: “Our toilets were in dire need of refurbishment so we decided they were an absolute must.

"We’ve been keeping it a secret from all the male staff, but some have popped in there to have a look and they all think they’re a great laugh.

"Some are waiting for it to blow them a kiss.”

Dartford’s mayor, cllr Pat Coleman, is due to officially open the refurbished toilets tomorrow.