Fishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinth

The infamous Fishergate Bollard's free-wheeling adventures have come to an end after it was finally collected by council workers.
Fishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinthFishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinth
Fishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinth

The bollard had been lying by the side of the road for months after it was last knocked off its plinth by yet another unwary motorist.

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Indeed, so many times had the heavy concrete cylinder been rolled down the street that it had damaged the outer wall of a nearby pub.

Fishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinthFishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinth
Fishergate Bollard finally collected by Lancashire County Council months after it was knocked off its plinth
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Now, ahead of safety concerns about Stoke City fans in Preston today, it has finally been collected.

And Kevin, who is running the Butler Street pub on behalf of his sister-in-law, raised concerns only days earlier about the potential deadly effect the bollard could have if someone rolled it down Butler Street towards the side entrance of Preston railway station.

Kevin said: “There’s going to be thousands of Stoke fans coming off the train today for the match with Preston North End.

The bollard had become a popular hangout and selfie spotThe bollard had become a popular hangout and selfie spot
The bollard had become a popular hangout and selfie spot

“I would have put it in the pub but it’s just too heavy.”

Kevin, 52, reported the issue to passing British Transport Police on Friday, July 20, who told him they would instruct the owners of the bollard, Lancashire County Council, to collect it.

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“What happened was a bus went into it and it came down the hill and damaged next door’s property,” he explained.

The bollard was displaced from its plinth months agoThe bollard was displaced from its plinth months ago
The bollard was displaced from its plinth months ago

“Kids and everyone kept rolling it outside and letting it go.”

To stop it rolling down the hill, Kevin put the vehicle magnet into the pub’s small porch next to neighbouring business and board game cafe, Dice & Donuts.

But he says children have still come to the bollard for photos and standing on it to roll it back and forward, causing damage to the porch walls.

“We don’t know if we can claim on insurance,” he added.

The bollard had become a popular hangout and selfie spotThe bollard had become a popular hangout and selfie spot
The bollard had become a popular hangout and selfie spot
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Mark Whittle, manager of Preston Business Improvement District, said: “While the Fishergate Bollard has brought some lightheartedness to many people who follow its trials and tribulations, it does serve a serious purpose in warning and directing motorists and keeping pedestrians safe.

“Given the fact that the bollard has been dismounted and lay outside a commercial premises, for what we understand to be around a month, something needs to be done to ensure it’s more visible and definitely more secure.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “We have now been to collect the bollard.

“We received a number of reports over a short period about the bollards, and one bollard was collected at the time, however it’s clear that another had also been knocked over.”

Infamous part of city’s street scene

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The bollard was first erected as part of the Fishergate shared space scheme brought in by Lancashire County Council in 2016

But despite being around two feet tall, it seems that many drivers simply do not see it.

It has been knocked off its plinth numerous times, and after at first replacing it each time it was hit, highways officers now seem to have given up. The bollard became such an infamous part of Preston’s street scene that it even spawned its own Twitter account. And in recent days, posing for photos with the bollard has become a popular pastime. Earlier this year Preston band PR5 filmed themselves with the bollard for new single Brace Yourself.