Social
networking sites have come under fire after thousands of students joined
in a Leeds city centre water-fight which damaged the city’s newest
park and may result in charges for the student organisers.
What was meant to be a bit of bank holiday fun turned into a riotous
and expensive civil problem.
The revelry, which lasted almost an hour, resulted in fountains being
drained and a prize-winning park dedicated to Nelson Mandela trashed.
West Yorkshire police have been sent CCTV images of the watery-rampage
which spread around the streets near Millennium Square where motorists
stuck in traffic jams were also targeted. Further evidence was provided
by the organisers themselves after they posted images and video of the
event on Youtube and Facebook. The two sites have been accused of generating
interest in the event of ‘unsustainable levels’, with more
potential future water-fighters being created with each viewing.
Organisers have apologised for the thousands of pounds worth of damage
caused by their gathering.
Councillor John Procter, the city’s executive member for leisure,
said: “We welcome people having fun in Leeds and there are opportunities
in all our many parks for that to happen. But this just shows total
disregard for others. Our parks staff were distraught when they discovered
the wreckage.”
The students who ran a smaller fight last year, had attempted to limit
potential problems by posting instructions on the internet banning balloons
and warning, “No attacking civilians - it’s not nice...
it’s fairly easy to tell who’s involved... they’ll
be the ones with water guns.”
