A vicar is appealing for help to get his church's historic clock back in good working order.

The Victorian clock at Pudsey Parish Church is a landmark but time has stood still since it's workings wore out a few months ago.

Now the church needs to raise £6,000 to restore the clock and get it moving with the times again.

Vicar Paul Ayres hopes passers-by who rely on the lofty timepiece for time keeping will dig deep into their pockets and help the appeal reach its target.

He said: "Lots of people use the clock but it's stood still at twenty-five past two for the last few months which will probably be confusing some.

"We need £6,000 and we're almost there with the funds but it's an expensive business and we still need more donations, perhaps people who use the clock as a handy timepiece might like to dip in."

And he added: "The sound of it striking on the hours and its quarterly chimes have been a feature of Pudsey life for decades and the clock itself is a well-known landmark.

"It's been stopping and starting for sometime but finally wore itself out a few months ago which meant it was time for us to face up to some serious work and serious fund raising."

The clock, which has four faces and still has all its original workings, was made by bygone Pudsey-firm William Potts clockmakers.

William Potts, son of a Darlington clockmaker, set up his own clockmaking business in 1833 in Pudsey. He began by making domestic clocks of every type but expanded into turning out turret clocks for churches and public buildings.

In 1862 the business had grown so much that he had to move to Guildford Street in Leeds. He went on to open a new turret clock factory in the city's Cookridge Street and mass produced wall clocks for schools, offices and railways in the workshops behind the Guildford Street shop in Butts Court. Three of William's sons eventually joined their father in the business and after World War One they too were joined by the next generation. William Potts & Sons Limited was sold to John Smith & Son Limited of Derby in 1935 and is still a subsidiary company trading in Leeds today.

Anyone who wants to make a donation to get the Pudsey parish clock ticking and chiming again should send it to Mr Ayres at The Vicarge, Vicarage Drive, Pudsey.