Toilet thefts inconvenience Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong police are trying to flush out thieves who have been stealing fixtures and fittings from public toilets.

Taps, toilet-paper holders, electric fans and even an entrance gate have been swiped from conveniences in the Kowloon district of the city in a spree that has cost authorities tens of thousands of dollars, police said.

The petty potty thefts come after eight manhole covers and street-drain covers were carted away in January.

Officers said the demand for cheap metal in booming China was believed to be the cause of the thefts.