VANDALS used washing powder to turn two town centre water fountains into frothing bubble baths.

Now CCTV operators in Blackburn have been ordered to keep a close eye on the Church Street sculptures in a bid to make sure the trouble-makers do not return.

As a result of the detergent prank, council workers were forced to turn off the water to two of the five statues last week -- the hottest spell of the year -- so they could unclog pipes jammed up by the soapy water.

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "The fountains were turned off as they had to be drained and cleaned out after a vandal threw some detergent into them.

"We will be monitoring the area with CCTV cameras should anyone try and repeat this and we will prosecute given the opportunity.

"I would urge members of the public to come forward should they see anyone doing this as not only does it spoil the enjoyment of others when they are turned off but it costs our residents money to have them cleaned."

For council bosses, the prank is the latest in a long line of problems to beset the sculptures, known as transitions, since they were first commissioned in 2000.

They were first due on the street in 2002 but didn't arrive until the summer 2003 after several hold-ups including an injury to artist, Ian Randall.

Other problems included finding a large enough piece of granite to complete the largest of the five statues, which are meant to represent Blackburn's pride in its past.

The statues are made of a mixture of metal, granite and fibre-optics.

Once in place, the council found it would have to turn the water off to the two statues on windy days because shoppers were getting drenched.

The sculptures are the focal point of the £2.5million revamp for the street, which was a clogged thoroughfare.