Hull City Council has confirmed that the city’s beloved Rose Bowl Fountain in Queen’s Gardens has been temporarily switched off following an act of vandalism.
Last month, during the late-May bank holiday, individuals forced entry into the fountain’s control room, causing significant damage to essential operating equipment.
As a result, the electronic system that controls the fountain requires reprogramming. Alongside this the fountain needs draining and cleaning before it can safely be brought back into operation.
Following investigation of the damage by the council, work is now underway, in partnership with local specialist The Water Feature Company, to complete the necessary repairs, and cleaning, as quickly as possible.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure at Hull City Council said: “It’s incredibly disappointing to see the Rose Bowl Fountain targeted in this way, especially during the opening week of Queen’s Gardens.
“This kind of reckless and irresponsible behaviour is completely unacceptable. It’s not only resulted in the damage of a much-loved feature, but it is also going to cost taxpayer money to repair and clean – which could be better spent elsewhere.
“The Rose Bowl fountain is a key part of Queen’s Gardens, and we know many residents and visitors who are visiting will be disappointed to see it switched off.
“We are working hard to repair the damage and get the fountain up and running as soon as possible, so everyone can enjoy it again.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while the issue is being resolved and urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward.”
The council is working closely with Humberside Police to identify those responsible for the vandalism and urges anyone who witnessed the incident to call 101, quoting crime reference number 26000076036.