TV's Simon Rimmer is at the centre of a social media storm over the toilets at a restaurant in Sale.

The chef and co-presenter of Sunday Brunch opened Greens on Stanley Square alongside Simon Connolly earlier this month.

Most of the reviews for the restaurant, which serves vegetarian cuisine, are positive up until now.

But one customer's post over the weekend started a social media storm with Rimmer at its centre.

They tweeted: "Just been to Simon Rimmer's lovely new restaurant where I was disappointed to discover gender neutral toilets. 

"[There were] men and women awkwardly shuffling round each other wondering if they were in the wrong place."

Rimmer responded to these comments, which earned hundreds of retweets, with a post of his own.

He also shared a photo of the toilets and stressed, although there is a communal area, all the cubicles are separate.

He tweeted: "Our decision to have unisex toilets was not taken lightly. 

"We have trans and non-binary customers and staff.

"We also have a separate accessible toilet for any person who finds the unisex toilets unacceptable. 

"We listen to feedback from customers constantly."

Messenger Newspapers: Maya ForstaterMaya Forstater

Foremost amongst critics was Maya Forstater, a researcher renowned for a gender critical stance which stresses the distinction between biological sex and gender identity.

In a substantial thread, again with hundreds of retweets, Ms Forstater accused the restaurant of 'trading off safety for stylishness'.

But a number of others came out in support of the restaurant instead.

They included former Great British Bake Off contestant Ruby Tandoh.

Ms Tandoh said: "I'm not sure how anyone is managing to take issue with this. 

"I hope more businesses follow suit (and stand their ground against the ghouls who seem to think that Simon Rimmer's restaurant's loos are the Somme and not, in fact, a place to p*** after a Campari and some garlic bread)."