THE bells of an East Cleveland church clock are ringing out again after eight years of silence.

The clock at St Emmanuel's in Saltburn had to be switched off following complaints that the pealing of the bells every 15 minutes was keeping people in the town awake at night.

Earlier this year, Rev Ian Parkinson suggested a timer could be installed as a compromise to switch on the bells during the day and off again at night.

He launched an appeal to raise the £2,000 needed for the device.

Almost all the money had been raised in just two weeks and Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council completed the fundraising by donating the final £83 needed.

The bells have been ringing during the day for several weeks, to the delight of the residents of the Victorian seaside town.

Rev Parkinson said: "People just started ringing and offering money and within a week there was almost enough money.

"I think it touched a nerve with people because there was a lot of feeling they should be on again after being off for eight years."