Hunt for former Luton Arndale Centre flamingo fountain

A council is looking for a flamingo fountain that once graced a town centre shopping centre.

The centrepiece of eight birds was a feature when the Arndale Centre in Luton opened in 1972.

When the building was refurbished and renamed The Mall in the 1990s, the fountain was removed and replaced with a smaller display.

Luton Borough Council is trying to track down the current owner with a view to putting it back on display.

Toby Maloy, town centre regeneration director at the authority, said: "I grew up in Luton in the 80s and they were a meeting place for myself and my friends, they bring back a lot of important memories.

"When they refurbished the Mall in the 90s the fountain disappeared and they replaced them with five smaller ones that look like they're flying out of the roof."

They were eventually removed and have recently been found in storage in The Mall, he said.

Mr Maloy said the council was planning on putting the second sculpture on display at the pocket park on Bute Street, which is under construction and is due to open later in the year.

"We've just been talking to lots of people saying these flamingos are coming and just the passion and energy from people saying 'wow I can't believe we've still got the flamingos, where are the original ones', it's just started a bit of a hunt to find out where they've gone," Mr Maloy added.

He believes they could have been purchased by someone who lived in Flitwick or Flitton.

"We would have to talk to the people who have them and see if they might be interested in them coming back temporarily, or permanently in some form - or maybe they do a bit of a tour around Luton, just to play a part of our heritage," he added.

He said if anyone knows where they could be to email him at the council.

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