FOR decades Yeadon fountain stood proudly on Victoria Avenue - until it simply disappeared.

Various theories sprang up to explain what happened to the landmark, which was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1898.

Some believed it had been spirited away to the promenade at Lytham St Anne’s - where a very similar fountain, made by the same manufacturer, did indeed stand.

Others were convinced it was taken to the scrap yard to help with the war effort.

The photographs are courtesy of Aireborough Historical Society.

Archivist Carlo Harrison said: “Sometime during the Second World War an RAF truck returning from a night out in Leeds full of air force personnel managed to crash into the fountain.

Realising what they had done, the service men put the fountain on the back of the truck and took it to the RAF barracks situated opposite Yeadon Airport (now LBA).

“They explained what had happened and booked the fountain in with the duty officer who recorded the incident in his log.This is the end of the paper trail, nothing else has been heard of the fountain, lots of ideas, but sorry to say, no facts, and it hasn’t been seen since.”