Dad hands in petition calling for baby-changing facilities in men's toilets

Tony Esposti and son Joseph hand over their petition today at the Assembly

A father is calling for businesses, hospitals and council run sites in Wales to provide baby changing facilities for both men and women.

Tony Esposti, from Cardiff, took his campaign a step further today by handing in a petition, calling for the changes, to the National Assembly for Wales. He says safe baby changing facilities should be available to all parents.

Tony says he struggles with baby changing access when out in public with his two-year-old son, and has on occasion had to change his nappy "on bins or benches".

"There are times when I don't take him out because I don't want to deal with the faff of having to change him", he told ITV Wales in February.

"If my wife and I are going out I don't want to rely on her because that's not fair on her either. It's not as if she's the only parent in the family."

Tony's friend Matthew McCarthy, one of the supporters of the petition, says he also struggles to find baby changing facilities in men's toilets.

"There are very few places where I can take my daughters in to change their nappies", he told ITV Wales.

"You go into any male toilets and there are no baby changing facilities in the toilet so more often than not on a lap or take them back to a car to change them".

The petition, which has gained 125 signatures, is asking the Assembly to ensure that all future renovations and new builds "have an area that provides a safe and clean space to change babies/allow toddlers to go to the toilet safely".

Tony and Matthew aren't alone in their frustrations.

In 2018, the hashtag #Squatforchange gained momentum across the world, with fathers taking to social media to share their experiences around changing their children in men's toilets.