Enquiries for urinals sky-rocket after West Bromwich Albion fan Adrian Chiles' comments

Victorian Plumbing revealed online enquiries shot up in a single day – when news reports were published last Friday – and has steadily continued.

Mr Chiles, a former One Show presenter, said his urinal – installed in the bathroom of the flat – said it had “changed his life” despite making women “retch”.

Joe Pascoe, from Victorian Plumbing, said: “We would usually receive one or two inbound enquiries a year about installing urinals in homes or apartments but last Friday, we were inundated with requests. On Saturday the team took over 80 different requests both online and on call.

“People were keen to know whether they were common in people’s homes, how much they cost and how quickly they could be installed. One person even asked if they could install multiple urinals in their three homes.

“Urinals are commonplace in public spaces like stadiums, parks and shopping centres but to have them in a house is still pretty unusual. They require specialised plumbing systems that differentiate from installing normal toilets but given the increase in interest, we are actively considering adding options to our Autumn range.”

Mr Chiles, who was born in Quinton, wrote in his column he had taken note of the exploits of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who jointly took over Wrexham AFC.

And last week Mr Reynolds presented Mr McElhenney with a birthday present of a urinal at the club’s stadium, with a commemorative plaque next to it.

He said: “I was (...) reminded of the urinal I have in my flat, sitting below a stained glass window, featuring West Brom’s crest.

“I’m very proud of it – the urinal more than the crest.

“I’m a great enthusiast for urinals in the home. This is an enthusiasm shared by very few people, especially women, who have been known to retch at the very sight of it. This baffles me.

“Many a chap has been chastised about his incompetent use of conventional toilets – poor aim, not putting the seat down, and so on.

“Well, here’s the answer: a receptacle at the correct height for ease of use, which is neat, tidy, clean and flushable. It changed my life.”

The presenter, later speaking to BBC Radio 5, explained the urinal flushes and was deep enough to prevent any splash-back and had been “fully tested”.