Toilet rolls and soap have been taken from public toilets in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.

The missing items, which have been the target of many shoppers during the outbreak, have prompted a council to call on the “better nature” of those in the town.

Taking to Twitter, a spokesperson for East Suffolk Council said: “A message to the better nature of our residents: Please do not take soap or toilet rolls from public conveniences.

“It is essential for all our health that people are able to wash their hands with soap and water when they need to.

“Our teams are working hard to ensure soap is always available in all our public conveniences.

“However, due to high demand, there may be times when supplies are low. Any problems can be reported at eastsuffolk.gov.uk/visitors/public-toilets.”

It comes after the cancellation of a full council meeting, set for March 25, due to the virus, although council leader Steve Gallant confirmed leisure centres will not close at this stage.

Councillor Gallant said: “Following the latest advice from the Government regarding COVID-19, East Suffolk Council is taking appropriate measures to ensure that the delivery of critical services continues, while also ensuring that our communities and our staff are safeguarded.

“We want to remain accessible to our customers, but we will also take all necessary precautions and we greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of our communities as we respond to a rapidly developing situation.

“The Council has agreed that all non-essential public meetings will be cancelled for the foreseeable future and we will review this on an ongoing basis.

“Meanwhile, office-based staff are being encouraged to work from home wherever possible while ensuring that we provide a consistent service to our communities.

“We have clear business continuity obligations and senior managers are reviewing our frontline operational services - prioritising those which are most important.

“We must consider the probability that staff and their families will at some point be affected by the virus and ensure that we direct our available resources where they are most needed.

“With this in mind, the Council would politely request that members of the public avoid any unnecessary calls or visits to council offices, if they are able to access the information they need online at www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk.

“There are a range of online tools which can help people with issues such as missed bin collections, reporting fly-tipping, renewing garden waste collections and making various payments.

“After consultation with our partners, leisure centres will not close at this stage, although this will clearly be reviewed as the overall situation develops further.

“Once again, we are incredibly grateful for the patience and community spirit of the people of East Suffolk and we wish you all the best possible health.”

Lowestoft Town Council have also taken steps following the outbreak.

A spokesperson said: “We have made suitable preparations to respond to the Government announcement which included that everyone should avoid non-essential contact and that, where possible, workers should work from home.

“To support the efforts to delay the peak impact of Covid-19 and help manage the impact on the health service, the council’s employees are fully set up to work from home and to ensure that, as far as is reasonably possible, business continues as normal.

“The impacts on some residents and businesses will be considerable during and after this pandemic and many people and organisations, including the town council, will be exploring the ways in which to support efforts to ameliorate these impacts, not least by heeding government advice.”