Thousands of pounds of damage caused after detergent added to Birmingham's Floozie in the Jacuzzi

Thousands of pounds worth of damage has been caused to Birmingham's iconic Floozie in the Jacuzzi, after the fountain was filled with detergent.

It happened merely hours after the fountain was switched on for the first time in nearly seven years.

In a statement Birmingham City Council have said: "An act of vandalism carried out last Thursday - the day The River was switched on again - has caused significant disruption to the plant room which operates the feature.

"This is very disappointing and means residents and visitors to Birmingham are unable to enjoy one of the city's most loved pieces of public art."

They added: "Repairs are being carried out and although we are unable to give an exact number at this stage, this is likely to cost the people of Birmingham thousands of pounds.

"We will ensure the feature is operational once again as soon as possible and would urge anyone with any information about the mindless vandalism to contact us, so those responsible can be brought to justice."

Officially known as The River, Floozie in the Jacuzzi was first opened by Princess Diana on May 6, 1993.

In July 2015, the failing water works beneath the fountain led to the site being turned into a giant flower bed.

The Council have been working recently to get the system flowing again ahead of the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Engineers have spent the past six months removing every piece of stone from the fountain, cataloguing them, and then putting them back after hopefully fully fixing the complex engineering system and the site's ability to leak down below.

• ITV News Central broadcasted live from the fountain on Thursday 19 May, where it can be seen filled with soapy bubbles:

• Who is the Floozie in the Jacuzzi?

Well for a start - that's not her real name.

The famous city landmark was originally called "The River of Life" and was created by sculptor Dhruva Mistry in April 1993 - at the cost of £3.5 million.

She weighs 1.75 tonnes and is said to represent 'the life force'.

In 2010, £300,000 was spent fixing leaking pipes and installing new coloured lighting.

But three years later, the fountain was turned off again. 

Several attempts have been made over the years to repair the site before the statue was turned into a giant flower bed in July 2015.