Grimsby fountain removed for repairs after vandal damage

The fountain was taken out of operation in November 2023 after being damaged by vandals

A fountain installed in a river in Grimsby has been temporarily removed after vandalism.

The fountain was installed near the Garth Lane footbridge over the River Freshney in December 2022.

North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) said it had been removed due to damage to its lighting.

The fountain was also out of action for several months from November 2023 due to antisocial behaviour.

Despite having been restored, NELC said lighting repairs had required the fountain to be removed from the river, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A council spokesperson said: "The council has undertaken recent repairs on the Garth Lane fountain due to vandalism and work has also taken place to prevent access.

"A few weeks ago, we knew that there were some outstanding works to do on the lighting, as there was also damage to that area."

The fountain has now been temporarily removed for the repair work and will return "in due course", NELC said.

It was designed to be an attractive feature in the town centre and increase water aeration, which helps to reduce algae growth and protect local wildlife.

Powered entirely from renewable energy sources, the fountain has a flow rate of 39,000 litres per hour when it is in use.