WINTER has silenced Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Before Christmas the dulcet tones of Mozart, Handel and a host of other classical composers emanated from the statue of Brunel, in Haveock Square.

It was an unorthodox initiative to deter vandals, who had daubed with graffiti the statue of the man responsible for Swindon's growth.

But the cold, wet weather took its toll on the CD player inside the statue responsible for the music and it has now been removed.

Westfield, owners of the Brunel Centre, which came up with the idea last October, are now looking for a weather-proof replacement to make Brunel tuneful again.

Bernie Maguire, town centre manager, is looking forward to Beethoven's return.

He said: "Play it again Brunel. This was a very effective initiative, which helped create a calming atmosphere. It also discouraged youngsters from congregating around the statue because many think classical music is uncool.''

A similar scheme in Queensland, Australia, was hugely successful. A local rail company played classical music in train stations and it managed to reduce vandalism, graffiti and a degree of loitering. The same type of experiment in a Liverpool housing estate also worked. Different types of music was played at different times of the day and in an area where classical music was played, young people stopped writing graffiti.

Polly Brown, spokeswoman for Westfield, said: "The existing equipment is currently being replaced."