Ramsgate’s Madeira Walk waterfall has been ‘foamed’ again

The huge foam mountain at the waterfall this morning Photo Emma Chaudhry

The waterfall in Ramsgate’s Madeira Walk has been ‘foamed’ again just days after volunteers installed an 8,000 crocheted poppy display at the site and neighbouring Albion Gardens.

The waterfall, which was cleaned and refurbished earlier this year, will cost Thanet council around £1,000 to clear and repair. Dyes and detergents can damage fountain parts as well as cause harm to plants and wildlife including rare newts.

Photo Kandy Jones

The installation, which was put in place overhanging the Pulhamite on Thursday to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War this Sunday (November 11), appears to be undamaged.

A Thanet council spokesperson said CCTV may now be installed at the site.

They added: “”Unfortunately, due to the mindless behaviour of a small minority of people, the fountain at Madeira Walk has once again been subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour. What makes this incident particularly distressing, is the complete disregard and lack of respect for the recent installation of poppies to commemorate Remembrance Sunday. Although the Poppies are thought to not be damaged in the long term, some have needed to be reattached to the display.

“The full clean up will take some time due to the scale of the foam and the difficulty accessing the fountain’s water supply. As the fountain is made up of rocks and uneven surfaces, our team will only be able to access it once the foam has dispersed to a safe level. We sincerely hope we will be able to rectify the fountain before Remembrance Sunday this weekend.

Photo Mark Stanford

“Last year we received several reports of vandalism across Thanet and had to spend thousands of pounds of council tax payers’ money on cleaning and repairs.  As this site has had instances of persistent anti-social behaviour, we are also considering installing CCTV – however this will mean spending more funds, which could be better used elsewhere.

“We would advise anyone who witnesses vandalism or other anti-social behaviour taking place to report any incidents to the police as soon as possible using 101 or if it is persistent, to our Community Safety team online.”