Southern Railway puts sanitary bins in nearly 500 men's toilets across its network so male passengers with urinary incontinence can 'travel with confidence'

A UK rail firm has put sanitary bins in all of its men's lavatories so male passengers with urinary incontinence can 'travel with confidence'.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said it had installed bins, for the disposal of pads and nappies, in almost 500 men's cubicles across its network as part of the 'Boys Need Bins' campaign.

The campaign was launched by Prostate Cancer UK to raise awareness of male incontinence last year and is backed by an all-party parliamentary group of MPs.

The charity said around one in three men over 65 have urinary incontinence problems, while one in 20 over 60 have a bowel incontinence problem. These problems are more likely to occur in men who have enlarged prostates, or are undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

GTR, which operates Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink services, said it was backing the Prostate Cancer UK campaign and bins can now be found in 495 men's toilet cubicles at 228 stations, offices and depots across the GTR network.

Govia Thameslink Railway has put the bins in almost 500 men's toilets

The operator behind Southern Rail (pictured: Library image of a Southern Railway train) has rolled out the bins across it's network

Previously, men had been asked to use disabled lavatories if they had needed a bin, but the campaign aims to get sanitary bins in all men's lavatories.

Carl Martin, GTR accessibility lead, said: 'We're keen to reduce the anxiety experienced by male colleagues and customers with urinary incontinence, and this small but significant step aims to enhance the comfort and dignity of both colleagues and customers who may need these facilities.

'This is another initiative enabling more customers to travel with confidence. What might be deemed as a minor improvement will make a real difference to many male customers and remove a significant barrier to travel.'

Prostate Cancer UK is campaigning to change the law to make it compulsory for male lavatories to include bins.

It has the backing of MPs on the all-party parliamentary group for bladder and bowel continence care.

It has already succeeded in doing this in Jersey, which passed a law for bins to be legally required in men's lavatories across the island.

More than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year on average in the UK, making it the most common cancer in men. Around 12,000 men die every year from the disease — the equivalent of one every 45 minutes

In the UK, the initiative has been adopted by Winchester Council and Worthing, with Hull, Milton Keynes, Wyre and Bath and North East Somerset set to follow, according to the charity.

It has also been backed by Transport for Wales, while the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the north east of England have also put bins in all its male lavatories.

Nick Ridgman, head of health information & clinical support at Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'A man living with incontinence should be able to travel away from home without having to worry about whether he'll be able to get rid of his used pads.

'Despite the fact that 1 in 3 men over 65 in the UK experience urinary incontinence, there's a dire lack of sanitary bins in gents' toilets and a paralysing taboo stopping people from speaking up about it.

'That's why we launched our Boys Need Bins campaign to get the country talking and ensure all men have access to a sanitary bin. We've had backing from politicians, businesses, and members of the public across the UK, and we're excited that Govia Thameslink have now got on board by providing men with sanitary bins for their male customers and staff.'