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Brussels' 'peeing' statue shut off by deep freeze

The Manneken-Pis, a bronze statue of a young boy urinating that is a symbol of Brussels and a major tourist attraction, has had to stop peeing because of sub-zero temperatures.
Image: A tourist poses for a photograph in front of Brussels' famous Manneken-Pis statue in central Brussels
A tourist poses with Brussels'Manneken-Pis statue on Thursday, even though its water flow had been turned off.Francois Lenoir / Reuters
/ Source: msnbc.com staff and news service reports

The Manneken-Pis, a bronze statue of a young boy urinating that is a symbol of Brussels and a major tourist attraction, has had to stop peeing because of sub-zero temperatures gripping much of Europe.

Officials turned off the flow of water through the statue, which has stood on a Brussels corner since the 1600s, out of concern the cold might damage its internal mechanism.

Overnight temperatures in the Belgian capital have been in the teens, far below the average minimum for February, and the latest forecast projects that through at least Feb. 9.

"It all depends on the weather, if the temperatures go up again it will work again," a tourist office spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The statue, which is on the site of a 15th Century drinking fountain, has more than 800 specially made outfits which city officials use to dress it up during the year. It is one of Brussels' most popular attractions.