Wellington's bucket fountain is missing a yellow bucket, which was stolen over the weekend, and the city council wants it back.
"The fountain can't operate in its full glory with one bucket missing," spokesman Richard MacLean said today.
Have you seen the big yellow bucket from the #bucket fountain!? Someone's stolen it & the @WgtnCC wants it back pic.twitter.com/dgSNje7pkx
— NewstalkZB Wgtn (@NewstalkZBWgtn) February 23, 2016
Mr MacLean said it appeared someone had climbed the fountain in Cuba Mall and took a metre-long yellow bucket late on Sunday.
Buckets have gone missing over the years, especially at this time of year when excited students started university, he said.
"If they have had a few drinks, they think it's an adult playground equipment."
However, the buckets were usually returned and Mr MacLean hoped this time would be no different.
"We want whoever has it, got bored with it and give it back."
He said the yellow bucket was last seen outside a chemist further up Cuba Mall.
"Clearly someone's picked it up and done a runner with it."
There were new CCTV cameras in the mall, however the council had not resorted to using them, Mr MacLean said.
In 2002, Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood revealed in a British magazine that he and fellow hobbit Dominic Monaghan had urinated in the fountain, much to the disgust of director and Wellingtonian Sir Peter Jackson.
