Town Hall clock bongs back into life after heavy rainfall froze time

The South Shields Town Hall clock was brought to a temporary halt by heavy rainfall last Monday.

Its familiar chimes – which ring out every fifteen minutes – also fell silent due to the mechanical fault.

But now the iconic timepiece is back ticking again after repair works were finally completed yesterday.

A specialist engineer was drafted in to assess the damage caused to a suspension spring in the pendulum by a combination of persistent wet weather and general wear and tear.

The clock was first set at noon on October 21, 1908 by the then Mayoress, Mrs W Gladstone Wylie, who severed a cord and released the pendulum to start the chimes.

A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: “We are pleased to have the historic town hall clock back to full working order.”