Dover’s Market Square fountain is at risk of being removed following continuous attacks by “bubble vandals,” police have warned.

@kentpolicedover has today tweeted asking the vandals to stop targeting the water feature as the cost of repair may force removal.

It comes after Dover District Council’s Asset Maintenance Team were called to clear up an overload of foam and suds, yesterday.

The district council told KentOnline: “Each time the fountain is ‘foamed’ it costs around £80 to have it cleaned, and after three occasions the system has to be drained and fully cleared, costing around £250 a time.”

Shop owner Jonathan Sathish said: “It happens quite often. Last year it happened about ten times and this year it must have happened about four of five times.”

“Right afterwards the council come and clear the mess and it must be costing them a hell of a lot of money to do it. It happened twice in one day.”

He has suggested the council places a camera on the feature to catch the culprit.

He said: “It doesn’t really bother me but at the end of the day it is the tax payers’ money that is getting wasted on something that shouldn’t be happening in the town.

"It could be spent elsewhere rather than doing this on a daily basis.”

The act of vandalism is a criminal offence. The council has urged anyone who sees such activity to contact the police immediately.