A FOUNTAIN of water sprayed out into a Radcliffe street for several hours on Sunday night after a group of "yobs" damaged a fire hydrant.

Residents watched on as the hydrant was brought under control by firefighter and engineers, after it was tampered with at around 6pm.

A United Utilities spokesman said: "It was some yobs smashing a fire hydrant to let all of the water out. We were called out there to switch it off again, and the fire service and police were also at the scene. We shut it off at 11.10pm and it had been going for a few hours by that time."

A police spokesman added: "We were called to the scene just after 7pm on Sunday to reports of damage to a water hydrant. A group of youths were there playing in the water, but we don't know if they were involved with the damage."

Eyewitness Kyle Turner, said: “The hydrant tap was turned on at about 6pm. The fire brigade came out about 45 minutes later.

“Once they had gone, someone turned the hydrant tap back on and it was on for a further three hours until United Utilities came out at 10.45pm and turned it back off.”