LABOUR LEADER IN HOT WATER OVER FOUNTAIN CLAIM

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 13th May 2009

The fountain in the Peace Gardens will be operational throughout the Summer

The Leader of the Labour Group on Sheffield City Council is in hot water after falsely claiming that the popular fountain in the Peace Gardens will not be in operation throughout the whole of this summer whilst maintenance is carried out. Cllr Sylvia Dunkley, Lib Dem Cabinet member for Culture, Leisure and Streetscene, said: "I challenge Cllr Wilson to go and stand in the middle of the fountains during the summer. But I would recommend that she takes a towel as she will quickly find out that what she is saying simply isn't true."

In actual fact the fountain will be in operation for the whole of the summer. The only difference that local people will see is one of the eight bowls on the steps of the garden not in operation and one of the small pools on the outside of the grass empty for a period of 12 weeks. There also may be a need to turn the fountain off for a short period on one Sunday morning.

Sylvia added "I'm afraid that once again Labour are being economical with the truth. It's clear that in the absence of anything of substance to attack us on they are now resorting to making things up. They should apologise for misleading local people and the local media."

Work on the Peace Gardens has in fact already started and will be complete before the school summer holidays. If this work had been done in the Winter the lights would have to be turned off which would have plunged the area into darkness.

Sylvia added: "We know just how popular the fountain is and that's why we made sure that the work is carried out in this way rather than having to shut the whole thing down. The Peace Gardens will be up to full strength in time of the school summer holidays. The fountain itself is working as usual and will be throughout the Summer."