18th century toilet back in use

ASENS BY, Sweden, May 4 (UPI) -- An 18th century toilet in Asens By, Sweden, has been restored to attract tourists looking to relieve themselves in the style of their ancestors.

The outdoor toilet was originally built more than 200 years ago as a dry toilet over a latrine. It is contained by a small red hut in an area that is now a cultural reserve for tourists, The Local reported Friday.

"We get lots of school classes who come here and most haven't used an ordinary outside toilet," said Patricia Blaker, who headed the project to bring the aged loo back into use.

"Now they can get the chance to use it like people used to."

Blaker said the only difference between using the toilet today and when it was first built is that the dry pit was converted into a compost lavatory.

"We're also building a new disabled toilet nearby," Blaker said.

The restoration comes amid an effort to increase the quality of Sweden's notoriously unpleasant public toilets.

"The tourist board got fed up with all the negative newspaper articles about toilets, particularly outdoor toilets -- they were dirty and poky," Blaker said.