Diana fountain shut all summer by technical fault
The Diana Memorial Fountain in London's Hyde Park has remained closed throughout the summer due to a persistent software failure in its water pump system. Maintenance teams are working to resolve the issue, with officials expecting the fountain to reopen in the coming weeks.
Why it matters
The fountain is a significant public landmark and a popular cooling spot during record-breaking heatwaves, highlighting the challenges of maintaining aging public infrastructure.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Diana Memorial Fountain has been closed since at least the start of July
The Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park - which has long been a popular place to cool down in hot weather - has been kept dry all summer due to a technical fault.
Royal Parks, the charity that maintains the central London park, apologised to visitors who found it without water "particularly given the prolonged high temperatures we've been experiencing".
The fountain opened in 2004 in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales who died nearly seven years earlier.
The closure was initially triggered by a mechanical breakdown in the pump that draws water from the local borehole. The pump was fixed, but software used to control the system then failed, preventing the water supply from being restored.
The closure was publicly announced by Royal Parks on 1 July.
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