A couple has been freed by firefighters after becoming trapped inside a public toilet at Kingston Park, south of Hobart, when an automated locking system malfunctioned.
Emergency services were called to the scene around 10pm on Friday night after the pair found themselves locked inside the facility, which is programmed to close automatically each night.
Footage from the scene showed several firefighters working to release the trapped individuals after the security system reportedly broke down, sealing the doors with the couple inside.
The council confirmed today that repairs have now been completed on the faulty locking mechanism.
“Today, a contractor successfully repaired the faulty locking mechanism at the Kingston Park toilet facility,” a council spokesperson said.
The facility had been left deliberately unlocked throughout the weekend following the incident to prevent further occurrences while awaiting repairs.
“Over the weekend, the doors were left unlocked to avoid the fault reoccurring and to ensure the community could continue to access the amenities while repairs were being completed,” the spokesperson said.
The automated locking system is designed as a security measure, with doors programmed to lock at 9pm each night to prevent vandalism of the facilities.
