The new water feature at the side of the Town Hall has only been operating just over a week and has already become a firm favourite with young and old alike.

Sophie and Jack Leech are already among regular visitors to the fountains.

They have been going to holiday activities at Experience Barnsley museum in the Town Hall three days a week during their summer holidays.

As soon as the water feature was switched on, they decided dancing through the streams of water was the perfect end to a lovely day out.

"I cannot get them out of there, they are loving it so much," said Rebecca of Raven Rise, Athersley.

"I think I am going to have to pack towels and perhaps a change of clothing for the next visit- they are soaking wet, but who cares - everyone is having a great time."

She described the new square and its water feature as 'absolutely lovely' and 'brilliant' and had a challenge for those who questioned why it had been built in the first place.

"Just look at it, it looks beautiful and it is full of laughing children and smiling adults - how can anyone not acknowledge what a great thing that is? It's free and my children are having a fantastic time."

Joanne Newsome from Rotherham Road, Smithies, laughed as she watched her three children get absolutely dripping wet - with constant grins and smiles on their faces.

Harry, ten, Charlie, eight and three-year-old Martha were as wet as they could get.

Mum Joanna said they were 'just passing through' the town centre when the kids saw the water feature and had to stop to try it out.

"I will definitely bring them back and perhaps bring a towel, but I have to say now it's finished this looks really really lovely and is something for Barnsley to be proud of," she said.

Charlie simply described the fountains as 'epic' and said he would have been happy to stay there for hours.

There were three generations laughing and giggling as cousins Abi Allott and Ben Wall, ten, ran and giggled their way through the weaving waving water jets.

Granddad Brian Hulme, of Pye Avenue, Mapplewell, sat on a nearby bench laughing, then added: "There's only one thing missing and then it would be perfect - we should have some music."

Brian, and his daughter Trish Wall, who is Ben's mum, had just visited Experience Barnsley which they described as 'great'.

Brian added: "I know there was a lot of chuntering when they were building this place but look what we've got at the end of it, it's absolutely fantastic.

"I would like a bit of music playing out of some speakers to make it totally perfect for me.

"I bet on a sunny hot day we will be queuing up for these seats because its such a beautiful spot now.

It used to be a car park - now look at it. What a fantastic transformation."

And it was not just schoolchildren who were happily playing in the fountains.

Kara Joyce, 27, from Ellesmere Port was visiting her friend Ellen Dobson, 20, of Coronation Street, Darfield.

They both got drenched by running through the streaming jets of water.

Kara insisted: "We've not even been drinking, we are completely sober and this place is so cool - I just love it."

Factfile: • The water feature is, in fact 30 nozzles, placed in three banks of 10 nozzles, emitting 30 curved jets of water of varying diameter.

•The Nozzles are programmable enabling the jets in a varying in curvature, known as a "whip" effect.

The water is housed in a 50,000 litre underground tank and is pumped at 30,000 litres per hour.

• The underground control room was built underneath Lancaster Gate using 127 cubic metres of concrete and 11 tonnes of steel reinforcement.

• All the water is disinfected and filtered before being recycled.

• There are 90, 24 volt RGB LED lights illuminating the water jets as the natural light fades.

The pumps and lights are controlled by a programmable interface to vary the colours and the 'whip' effect.