Farewell to popular carousel after 23 years

WH 160115 Party to celebrate Dave Hunt's roundabout at Montague Centre, Worthing, which will be forced to leave the centre. Town Centre manager Sharon Clark with Dave Hunt. Photo by Derek Martin SUS-150116-151529001

Dave Hunt’s colourful merry-go-round was dismantled on Sunday, after the new owners of the Montague Centre decided it no longer had a place in its usual spot.

Champagne was sipped and free cupcakes from café Parklife were handed out to mark the occasion.

Paul O’Brien, owner of I Love Candy, in Bath Place, who organised the farewell alongside town centre manager Sharon Clarke, said: “It’s been here for 23 years and it’s a bit of an institution. It’s very sad  to see it go. It’s often the bribe parents use to get their children to come  into town.”

The Montague Centre’s new owners, New River Retail, had served notice on Mr Hunt to remove the roundabout by mid-January. The decision caused outcry on social media as generations of residents expressed their shock at the decision.

A petition of more than 500 signatures, which was sent by Mr Hunt to the owners, alongside numerous letters of support, received no reply.

He is now seeking alternative locations for the popular children’s carousel, with the Guildbourne Centre among the options.