A village church has been forced to stop chiming its bells for the first time in almost 180 years, sparking a huge row between opposing residents.
St Michael’s in Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire was served a notice by the council to stop the chiming between 11pm and 7am in April after a string of complaints from three furious residents.
The clock has been a core part of the daily life in the village for 177 years.
It chimes with Westminster bells on the quarter hour, while another strikes on the hour.
Now, they are set to fall silent between for nine hours overnight to comply with the order from the Calderdale council.
A £2,500 mechanism would enable to bell to limit the bell to only chiming at specific times.
The village's loved clock is still going, but the chimes have now stopped until the costly device is fitted.
Residents left furious by the decision set up an online petition to reinstate the bells, which they referred to as “the soundtrack of our community’s daily life”.
The petition reads: "Growing up in the heart of Mytholmroyd, the sound of St Michael's church bells ringing through the village has been a cherished part of my life.
"These bells have chimed since 1848, long before any of us were here – a symbol of continuity and community for over a century.'My family's roots run deep in this village, and for us, as for numerous other residents, the chimes are more than bells – they are the soundtrack of our community's daily life.
"We propose that Calderdale council reconsider their decision and engage with the community to find a solution that satisfies both the individual who raised the complaint and the majority of village residents.
"Solutions such as soundproofing options for the complainant's residence.Preserving these bells means preserving our history and community."
The petition has raked in over 1,000 signatures and garnered significant levels of local support .
One resident commented: "Growing up in the 'Royd those bells were my clarion call to get home for dinner.
"With the bells silenced I worry about the poor children who may starve for lack of eating dinner.'I feel that 177 years of the bells ringing being silenced by one objector is ridiculous."
Roy Wrathall, who's been a church warden at St Michael's for nine years, said the church has been there "for everybody", adding that it would comply with the notice.
"We don't have the facilities to silence overnight," he said.
He added: "There's very much two sides to it. 'There's "I'm awake in the night, there goes the clock, that reassures me" and "I can't get to sleep because I keep hearing that clock every 15 minutes". 'It's not an easy one to resolve."
Calderdale Council says it was sent "several complaints from local residents about the noise of the church clock chime overnight, and the substantial impact it was having on their quality of life".
Danielle Durrans, cabinet member for public services and communities, said: "We investigated the complaints in line with our legal duty, and this involved identifying whether the noise was causing a substantial or unreasonable impact on the quality of life of those who had complained.
"The noise from churches and other similar establishments is something that many councils across the country have had to investigate."
