HOPES were raised yesterday that the bells at St Gregory's Church, Bedale, will soon be heard again after months of silence.

The eight bells, the largest of which is the tenor dating from 1360, have not been heard since last summer after ringers expressed concerns about the safety of equipment installed in the church tower by mobile phone company Hutchison 3G.

Church leaders and the bellringers said yesterday, however, that it was hoped the issue would soon be resolved by written confirmation of the results of a test conducted by Hutchison 3G last month.

The D&S Times was contacted earlier this week by concerned readers, one of whom did not wish to be named but who said many local people were greatly missing the traditional sound of the bells.

"They were not heard at Christmas and have not rung for weddings. They are lovely bells in a lovely town, and it's such a shame people don't hear them."

Another reader said: "Quite a few people miss the sound of the bells on Sundays."

The rector, the Rev David Paton-Williams, and tower captain David Dobson said in a joint statement: "The equipment consists of two dishes which act as a relay station receiving and transmitting a pencil beam of digital information between telephone masts at Holtby Hall and Cowfold Grange (near Leeming Bar). The equipment was installed with the approval of the church authorities and the PCC (parochial church council) receives an annual income from it.

"However, the church bellringers expressed concerns about the safety of the installation for themselves and other users of the tower.

"They were concerned about the level of emissions from the equipment and also whether the steelwork involved would result in damage to the tower when the bells were rung, because of the great forces generated by the moving bells. As a result, the bellringers decided that these concerns needed to be resolved before the bells could be rung safely.

"Hutchison 3G agreed to a test of emissions from the equipment. However, a proposed test in September proved abortive because the wrong measuring equipment was provided. Securing the correct equipment took considerable time but a proper test was conducted on January 25.

"The test showed that emissions were well below the international safety limit, and in fact much the same as a reading taken out in the street. At the same time the church architect inspected the equipment and agreed monitoring procedures to identify any possible effect on the tower structure once the bells are being rung.

"The PCC and the bellringers are waiting for written confirmation of the test results from Hutchison 3G. They hope this will enable the matter to be brought to a conclusion and, after the ropes have been stretched again, for the bells to recommence. Both the PCC and the bellringers would like to express their regret to the community for the silence of the bells over the past months and look forward to them calling people to worship once again."