A worried mum was left mortified after reporting what she believed to be dozens of dead fish floating in a park – only to discover they were an art installation.
Ellie Cosgrove was walking with her family when she spotted what appeared to be lifeless fish lining the edge of a pond.
She says she was concerned that they would be a risk to children and animals, so she reported it to park officials.
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The 27-year-old said in her email: “Myself and my family visit the park grounds on a regular basis but have recently noticed something rather concerning.
“Down by the Fairy Gardens, where the pond is, there is a large number of dead fish just laid on the grounds.
“We have now seen these on multiple occasions and nothing seems to be done about it.
“At first we thought it was leaves but upon closer inspection, you can see the fish’s features.
“Could these please be dealt with as it’s a public ground and this is not appropriate, especially with many children visiting.”
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Explaining why she sent the email, she added: “I’d zoomed in to take a photo as I thought it was just dried-up leaves.
“We could see from the photos that it was in fact fish as we could see their features.
“They were along the edge of the pond, but we couldn’t getting any closer as they were in an area that was blocked off due to safety reasons because of an old bridge.
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“I emailed Cawthorne Park because it is somewhere we go regularly and I was worried they had died due to diseased water and I thought it was a public concern.
“I know lots of children and animals visit so I was worried for their safety.”
However, Ellie says she was left “in stitches” when they replied saying that the “dead fish” were in fact part of an art installation.
They replied: “Thank you for contacting us regarding the issue you spotted.
“We appreciate your feedback on your latest visit to the site, and could we make you aware that the fish you are referring to are part of an art installation.
“These fish are made from clay and are not real fish.
“Our ponds, lakes and all open water areas on site, are regularly inspected by the site team to make sure they’re safe for visitors and all animals.
“I hope this gives you some reassurance that we are taking this matter seriously.”
“I couldn’t stop laughing when I read the email,” Ellie, from Barnsley, South Yorks, told What’s the Jam.
“I rang my mum straight away to tell her.
“I was so embarrassed and could just imagine them all laughing at me in the office that morning.
“I did want to respond to tell them it’s a strange art installation to have next to a pond with live fish – but I just chose not to reply.”
The travel business owner spotted the installation at the Barnsley park in December.
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