DAMP SQUIB: Fountains in £3.5m St John's Square revamp not worked fully for 18 months

The attraction in St John’s Square has been beset by technical problems with engineers struggling to fix the ongoing issues.

It comes as Blackpool has enjoyed a bumper start to the 2018 season with both May bank holidays pulling in tens of thousands of tourists amid blue skies and warm temperatures.

But families were unable to properly cool off in the fountains because they haven’t been fully working since November 2016.

They were tested in February this year but engineers discovered technical problems – which blighted the Plaza attraction from Easter last year too.

The fountains were unveiled to huge fanfare almost a decade ago when bosses at the town hall – then under the control of Conservative leader Peter Callow – said they wanted to make Blackpool the ‘third best shopping centre in the north west’.

The authority, which is now run by Labour, said it was ‘working with specialist contractors’ to get the water fountains in ‘back into full working order’. A spokeswoman said: “There have been multiple long-term technical issues and investigations, and work is ongoing to remedy the problems.”

Opposition leader at the council, Coun Tony Williams, said: “I knew they have not been working for some time, but I didn’t know it was a technical problem.

“I don’t know why it has taken so long to fix.

“They are an important feature and were meant to enhance St John’s Square