Fountain set to reopen

This is how the Diana fountain will look when it finally reopens to the public.

Where there was grass - or more often in the memorial's chequered 10-month history, a mudbath - now a bonded resin footpath runs around it.

The fountain in Hyde Park has undergone a four-month programme of repairs, costing a total of £200,000. The Royal Parks plan to reopen it next Friday.

But it is no longer the oasis of green envisaged by its designers, as workmen have battled to correct the problems that have bedevilled the site for months.

They ranged from visitors hurting themselves after slipping on the wet stones to heavy rain turning the footpath into a quagmire.

The most controversial corrective-measure is the footpath, which stretches three-quarters of the way round the fountain and crosses into the centre.

Westminster planning officials say that the path is "regrettable" and will compromise the fountain's "elegant simplicity".

The Hyde Park Estate Association, a charity dedicated to protecting the park, has also objected, claiming that children will injure themselves on its hard surface. Westminster is also unhappy with the green fencing put up to control visitor numbers. It has asked for a revised design to be submitted.

As well as the new footpath, the Royal Parks have laid hard-wearing turf originally destined for Manchester United's ground, to stop the area turning into a mudbath in wet weather.

A Royal Parks spokesman said: "We are on schedule. If we have an absolute downpour-over the next few days that might push things back."

He added: "We don't want to end up with a situation like we did before where there are 5,000 people an hour at the fountain. It is not safe."

Down at the site, the groundsmen were hopeful. One worker took a long cool look at the muddy building site that still surrounds the fountain and said: "It will definitely be open next week... fingers crossed."