Anger as Birmingham's 'Floozy in the Jacuzzi' out of action again

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Anger as Birmingham's 'Floozy in the Jacuzzi' out of action again

The leader of Birmingham City Council has condemned the person who's put the "Floozy in the Jacuzzi" out of action, just days after water was restored to the landmark fountain.

Footage emerged on Thursday evening of the water feature in Victoria Square full of detergent.

The fountain had only been switched back on earlier that day.

It follows a multimillion-pound revamp of the area ahead of Birmingham hosting the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Image source, John Bray/BBC
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The River was designed by artist Dhruva Mistry

Councillor Ian Ward told the BBC's Politics Midlands programme on Sunday: "This is not a joke.

"This has caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the plant room."

Image source, Chris Burden
Image caption,

Detergent was poured into the fountain on Thursday

The city centre is covered by CCTV cameras, and Mr Ward added: "If we could identify the person who has done this, we will put them in front of the courts."

The fountain is officially called The River, and has been in the city centre since 1993.

Brummies quickly nicknamed it the "Floozy in the Jacuzzi", with Mr Ward describing it as "much beloved in the city".

It sprung a leak in 2013, and the water was replaced by bedding plants.

Image source, John Bray/BBC
Image caption,

The fountain has a flow of 3,000 gallons per minute

Image source, John Bray/BBC
Image caption,

Just a few inches of water were visible on Monday

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