Elderly Hunstanton man left 'terribly upset' after fish he fed everyday killed when washing up liquid poured into fountain

An elderly man from Hunstanton has been left in a state of shock after two bottles of washing up liquid were poured into a fountain, killing all the fish in it.

The 92-year-old fountain in Esplanade Gardens was home to 132 fish, which Brian Payne, 89, had been feeding twice daily since he retired 24 years ago.

Brian, who has lived in Hunstanton for 56 years, walked up to the fountain on Sunday morning as usual to be greeted by a foamy pond and locals removing the dead fish from the pond.

“I’m terribly upset. When I saw the bubbling mass it was too much, it was an awful shock," Brian said.

"I hope that the fish had a quick death and that it wasn’t too painful.

“Whoever did this had no regard for the fish at all to cause all that destruction."

The fish were thought to have been put there over the years by the people of Hunstanton.

Since the incident, Brian has said even if the fish were replenished in the fountain, he wouldn’t want to keep feeding them.

“I couldn’t carry on any longer, it’s very kind of people to offer to get more fish but my health is failing," he said.

Brian recalls a similar incident happening in Hunstanton in 2006 at Boston Square sensory park, opposite the fountain, where the fish were killed and never replaced.

He had been paying for the fish food out of his own pocket.

There has already been an outpouring of support for Brian in the community of Hunstanton, with many people commenting on Facebook offering to restock the fountain of fish.

Residents have expressed their anger over the incident, with one describing whoever did it as “scum”.

The fish were soon taken out of the fountain, with help from friends of Esplanade Gardens and tourists, and the water was emptied.

A spokesperson from West Norfolk Council said: “This crime has been reported to the police. We will also be checking our CCTV coverage of the area to help the police identify anyone involved.

“Our public open space team would like to thank some of the friends of Esplanade Gardens and tourists from Essex who helped them clear out the pond and remove the dead fish on Sunday.”

One resident, John White, said: “Whoever did this is the scum of society. I believe the gardens are used for the wrong purposes at the moment.”

The incident has been reported to the police who are currently looking to speak to anyone with information. If you can help, call 101.