TIME is no longer standing still as justice is dispensed at Durham's historic crown court building.

The Durham Crown Court clock has remained inactive in recent years, neither able to tick or chime.

But, after a visit by a team of expert clocksmiths, the time is once more being told, while, for the first time in living memory, the chime has been restored.

None of the court staff can recall the historic timepiece chiming, and are still becoming accustomed to it resounding on the hour.

But as a saving grace for nearby residents, including the inmates at Durham Jail, it is primed only to chime on the hour between 7am and 11pm.

Deputy court manager Paul Hann said the job of manually winding the clock fell to the old in-house security man.

Once security was awarded to outside contractors, health and safety restrictions left the clock tower out-of-bounds.

"It involved a dangerous trip on to the roof and across the tiles to the clock tower, which was not very pleasant in bad weather," said Mr Hann.

The situation remained unchanged for six years until clocksmiths from Potts of Leeds offered their services.

They had seen the crown court clock was no longer functioning while they were in Durham restoring St Nicholas Church clock in the Market Place.

"We brought them in when funds were available and they have got it back working fully, connected to an electric motor which deals with the winding so no-one actually has to go up to wind it.

"The clock chime is something no-one can remember, but its set so it switches off at night because it does make quite a din."

Mr Hann believes the clock and its tower date back to the construction of the court building, which appeared on the Durham skyline at the same time as the nearby prison, around 1820.