Splashpad failure is embarrassing - council boss

A review is taking place into the splashpad in Gheluvelt Park, Worcester

The repeated failing of Worcester's splashpad is a PR embarrassment for the city, a council boss has said.

The feature in Gheluvelt Park has drawn concern over how much it breaks down, with a review taking place to determine whether it is coming to the "end of its working life".

Managing director of Worcester City Council, David Blake, said the investigation was to determine the reasons for each failure "as well as what it might cost to fix it".

The council has blamed the problems on a technical fault - a situation frustrating visitors to the site.

Families at Gheluvelt Park told the BBC the splashpad problems were unfair for families with young kids.

One person said: "We pay our taxes and should be able to enjoy it. We're only going to continue to get hotter and hotter summers."

A parent said she had turned up three times with her children to use the splashpad and it had not been running on any of those occasions.

Another stated that free activities were "few and far between in Worcester" and families needed to keep spending down during the summer holidays because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Mr Blake said the breakdowns were "embarrassing for the council in terms of PR".