THE CHINESE CITY of Sanya has banned flies from more than 100 public toilets.

It comes after Beijing announced new regulations last week stating that lavatories used by the public should contain no more than two flies. The Beijing Times reports that improving the smell of the notoriously unpleasant facilities is also recommended.

China Daily reports that the new regulations in Sanya, which is in Hainan province, applies to 110 of the 400 public lavatories in the city – the ones that are managed directly by the sanitation bureau.

It’s also reported that local residents have questioned how the counting of flies on the toilets is going to be carried out. The city of Nanchang in Jiangxi province meanwhile has decided to allow three flies in its toilets at any one time.

Back in Beijing, BBC reporter Michael Bristow says that he only ventures into the city’s public toilets “at the most desperate of times”. Bristow also reports though that in some older neighbourhoods many homes do not have their own facilities, so using public restrooms is the only option for some residents