A MEMORIAL fountain in a Burnley park has been restored to its former glory after complaints from neighbours.

The tribute, in Thornber Gardens, off Thursby Road, was erected after two youngsters drowned in Pheasantford Reservoir in 1899.

David Dixon, 15, died while trying to rescue Harry Hartley, nine, who had slipped under the ice at the frozen reservoir.

The declining state of the Victorian fountain was first brought to the attention of councillors in 2012 when it was described as a ‘public ashtray’.

The cast-iron water feature has now been cleaned and repainted, and new stone flagging has been installed around it in order to bring the memorial back up to scratch.

Damage to the lower front left side of the fountain has also been restored.

Phil Braithwaite, 33, whose Briercliffe-based firm UK Restoration Services helped with the work, said it was much-needed.

He said: “We spent two days cleaning it. There was a lot of fine detail which needed painting over so it was quite a big job.

“It’s only right that the memorial is brought up to standard, no matter how long ago the incident was. It’s had the cobbles re-done around it and some fairly specialist cleaning and we were glad to help.”

Two other boys, John Moore and Harry Tattersall, survived the January 1899 tragedy .

Mr Dixon, of Devonshire Road, and Mr Hartley, of Cleaver Street, who both attended the Ebenezer Baptist Sunday School, were buried in Haggate Cemetery.

Thornber Gardens is bordered by Thursby Road, Queen Victoria Road, Ennismore Street and Melville Street.