IT is the 300 metre waterslide which could bring a summer time splash to the heart of Southampton.

But council bosses say time is running out for organisers of Slide the City to get in touch with them and begin talks of how to bring the event to the city.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo, the gigantic 1,000 foot slide could tour a number of cities in the UK.

But the organisers have yet to decide a date or location for the event in Southampton or Portsmouth, which they have advertised on their website.

Leader of Southampton City Council Simon Letts says he would welcome the event to the city but is frustrated by the lack of contact by Slide the City.

Simon Letts said: “We have had no contact with them despite a number of approaches by our events team. If they want to do it there are a number of issues to do with health and safety we need to look at.

“We are pleading with them to contact us if they are serious about this proposal.

“Any event that people get enjoyment out of is good for the city, but we need to hear something, I think. I would be interested to see if anything happens at all.

"If we have not heard by the end of June it is highly unlikely it will happen this summer.”

Daily Echo:

Simon Letts also criticised the organisers for getting peoples hopes up before they have contacted the council.

He added: “What these people do is they say Slide the City is coming to all these places and the city that can get the more people to sign up will get the event.

“We think it will run in one or two cities in the UK, they want to find out where the most paying customers are and then take that proposal to that place.

“What they are doing is not illegal but I think it is raising people’s expectations, the best way to do things is to come to an agreement with the council or the landowner and then say we are holding an event.”

The slide will cost potential punters £10 for a single ticket should the event go ahead. Adding to the slide will be live music, food, and drinks to make the event a family day out, according to organisers.

Slide the City did not respond to an enquiry about dates and locations.