Winchester Clock Mystery solved

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Oct 2009

Enquiries by Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Martin Tod, have finally solved the mystery of the broken clock outside the old Guildhall (now Lloyds TSB bank) on Winchester High Street.

The clock is one of the most recognisable sights on Winchester's High Street. Over the summer, the glass on one side of the clock shattered and was originally thought to have been damaged by vandalism, but clock specialists, Smiths of Derby, brought in by the City Council's insurers have concluded that the damage is the result of deterioration of the clock face.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Martin Tod, uncovered the story when he wrote to the council asking when they intended to repair it and whether they could cover the broken side with bird-proof netting to prevent further damage:

"The Old Guildhall clock is a very recognisable and visible part of Winchester's High Street. It's important that it's fixed sooner rather than later. Leaving something so visible unrepaired makes an unnecessarily poor impression and risks making people think we don't care about our town.

I contacted the council to find out how quickly it could be fixed and what they were doing to stop further damage from birds and the weather while it remained open to the elements.

I've had tourists stop me in the street and ask why the town wasn't getting the clock fixed. The last straw was when it looked like pigeons might be moving into it as well through the opening created when they removed the broken glass. It's essential we look after our heritage. I'm glad it's being fixed, but wish it could have been done sooner."