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Action promised to protect 'iconic' flower beds

Jo Burn
BBC News, South East
Reporting from Canterbury
Bob Dale
BBC News, South East
Julia Abbott
BBC News, South East
Reporting fromCanterbury
BBC/JO BURN A woman wearing a white dress crouches in the flower bed at Westgate Gardens in Canterbury.BBC/JO BURN
The flower beds at Westgate Gardens has become a magnet for selfie lovers

Tourists trampling on flowers to get the perfect picture at a public garden have been reminded to stay "respectful".

Westgate Gardens by the River Stour, an area owned by Canterbury City Council, boasts colourful seasonal displays, along with punts and a backdrop of Medieval houses which attract large numbers of visitors.

But signs asking people to keep off the grass have failed to stop some from walking through the plants and causing damage.

The authority said it is "actively looking" at more measures to protect the flower beds.

BBC/JO BURN A keep off the grass sign in a flower bed at Westgate Gardens, surrounded by brightly coloured spring blooms.BBC/JO BURN
Warning signs and guard rails have failed to keep people off the flower beds

The council turfed the area in 2021, but later removed it with agreement from the community that flowers would be planted.

Yvonne, a visitor from France, crossed the barrier and took photos on the mud path which has been created from constant footfall.

She told BBC Radio Kent: "It says keep off the grass but there is no grass there, so I thought I wasn't walking on the grass.

"If it's got to be more firm then maybe they need better signage to say no trespassing."

BBC/JULIA ABBOTT A long view of the flower beds, with scores of people walking beside them and Westgate Towers in the background, and the River Stour beside it.BBC/JULIA ABBOTT
The flower beds have attracted large crowds in the spring weather
BBC/JULIA ABBOTT A long view of the flower beds, with scores of people walking beside them and Westgate Towers in the background, and the River Stour beside it.BBC/JULIA ABBOTT
Weekends are especially busy

A Canterbury City Council spokesperson said: "The flower displays in the Westgate Gardens are stunning and we enjoy seeing pictures popping up worldwide on Instagram, Tik Tok and other social media sites.

"The park is becoming increasingly iconic and being visited more and more as a result, and most people are very respectful of the displays.

BBC/JO BURN Two women, one wearing a cream top and trouser set, the other a yellow sun dress, pose for a selfie in the bright flower beds of Westgate Gardens, just in front of the River Stour, with a moored punt behind them.BBC/JO BURN
The backdrop of the River Stour adds to the attraction of the location

"But we are aware of the concerns of residents that a tiny minority of visitors are causing damage to the flowers through their over-exuberance to get that perfect snap.

"We are currently actively looking at measures we can put in place that would protect the flowerbeds while still allowing photographs to be taken.

"In many ways it's a nice problem to have, and we are sure that through a combination of common sense and some small changes to the layout at that area of the Westgate Gardens, everyone can continue to enjoy the park and its flowers."

Flocking for selfies in Westgate Gardens

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