THE future location of a historic fountain put in storage for safekeeping has caused a stir.

Gorse Hill wants the cast iron structure which, until recently used to sit in St Mark's Rec, back, according to ward councillor Maurice Fanning.

The fountain is thought to have been built by the GWR Works and was originally designed to go in Faringdon Road Park.

The structure originally stood in the park but was moved to the Rec about 80 years ago.

So there is now a question mark hanging over where it should be returned. Gorse Hill residents say they don't want to lose it.

Coun Fanning (Lab, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst) said council officers had told him the structure was actually half of a water fountain removed from Faringdon Road Park and moved to St Mark's Rec in 1908.

He said he wanted it returned to Gorse Hill or, at worst, put back in Faringdon Road, as long as his ward gets something good in its place.

"We're fighting a bitter fight for its refurbishment," he said.

"Allegedly they took it away for safe keeping. It would be an act of crass vandalism if they don't replace it.

"Restore our fountain. It does have a lot of feeling about it. People are concerned it's gone."

Swindon Council said the piece had never functioned as a fountain in the years it had been in Gorse Hill but that it could be refurbished if it was returned to Faringdon Road.

A council spokesman said: "The statue was removed from its existing location to protect it from restoration work going on at St Mark's Rec at the moment.

"It is currently in storage. There will be consultation on where it will end up, it may be St Mark's Rec or it may be Faringdon Road. Whatever happens there will be consultation."

Mal Sharpe, of Omdurman Road, Gorse Hill, said: "I spoke to a council contractor and he said they moved the fountain because they were trimming trees in the park.

"But when I asked when they were putting it back he told me it might be going to Faringdon Road Park or the Town Gardens.

"I know for a fact it has been there for more than 80 years and I'm really ticked off they just took one of the few remaining pieces of history in the park.

"I've lived here for 20 years and remember when it worked as a fountain.

It has been used as a bird bath and a flower bath, but when I heard it had been taken away I thought Oh good, it is going to be the centrepiece of the park again.' "I've been told they are going to have a consultation on where the fountain is going to go, but what is the point of wasting all that money?"