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Council staff at the new fountains after drug addicts’ needles were found in the jets. |
NEW FOUNTAINS NEEDLES SCARE FOR CHILDREN
Youngsters played where drug addicts syringes were found in jets
DRUG addicts have caused millions of pounds worth of damage and sparked a major health scare after needles were jammed into the water jets at the newly restored Marble Arch fountains.
Calls are now being made for a fence to be erected around the landmark after it emerged that children have been swimming in the shallow water around the fountains.
Westminster Council is urging anyone who has been in the fountains to seek medical advice. They are not trying to trace the children, but the worst-case scenario that one of the youngsters picked up a needle has sparked anxiety.
Council engineers were yesterday (Thursday) attempting to clean up the water and repair the jets, which were turned on for the first time in a decade last month after a £2.1million revamp.
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the Labour group, said he was “deeply worried” that a child could be infected.
And in a statement, the council’s deputy leader Cllr Robert Davis said: “We have not only stepped up security around the fountains by increasing the number of City Inspectors and Guardians patrolling the area, we will also be checking the fountains in the mornings to make sure they are safe.
“We urge anybody who fears they may have been in contact with such paraphernalia to seek medical advice.”
The council said it would not erect a fence because it didn’t want to “create a barrier to the fountains”.
The vandals struck on Tuesday and it is hoped the fountains will be working again by the end of next week.
Cllr Davis added: “We will not allow this mindless minority to ruin this iconic site for local residents and visitors, and repairs are being carried out as a priority. We do not want to fence off or create a barrier to the fountains as this would ruin them for the many people who love spending time by them, and other iconic fountains such as those in Trafalgar Square are not fenced off.”
Cllr Dimoldenberg said: “This is unbelievable. It’s a major health hazard, and action needs to be taken quickly. Children are at risk, and heaven forbid someone has been infected.
“I think the council have been very short-sighted. The water needs to cleaned to make sure it is safe and needle-free. A fence needs to be erected to keep children away from the water and to stop drug users gaining access to the fountains.”
Lady Cleaver, chairwoman of the Friends of Hyde Park, said: “This is deeply concerning. It has always been a problem area and we were very pleased with the clean up. For this to happen is terrible.”
The fountains were unveiled to great fanfare just six weeks ago. Council leader Colin Barrow said he wanted to put the Grade-I listed landmark back on the map with the fountains that can spurt water up to 20 metres in the air. Opposition leaders in City Hall have decried the project as a “white elephant” and “extravagance”, claiming the money should have been spent on improving front-line services in the poorest parts of the borough. |
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