A ROW has broken out in Giggleswick over whether or not the church clock should chime through the night.

Recently, a request was put forward by Trevor Reynolds, licensee of the Harts Head Hotel, for the quarter and half hour chimes to be turned off between midnight and 7am.

He said he had received an increasing number of complaints from hotel residents about the noise from the clock through the night.

Subsequently, Giggleswick Church's Parochial Church Council (PCC) agreed the chimes would only sound on the hour for a trial period of eight months.

In order to stop the clock from chiming at other times in the night, work has been carried out to install an electronic device, which Mr Reynolds indicated he would make a financial contribution towards.

However, the decision to silence the chimes has angered some villagers and petitions have been started to get the move reversed.

One petition has been launched by Josephine Robinson, of Manor Cottage, who is also secretary to the PCC. It reads: "We welcome visitors to our village and hope that they enjoy its traditional character. The chiming of our village clock represents the heartbeat of our village to visitors and residents alike. Please help us by signing this petition to have the chimes restored to their rhythm."

Mrs Robinson organised the petition after villagers expressed concern about the chimes being altered.

She said: "I have lived in the area for most of my life and it is part of the village's character to have the clock."

Mrs Robinson added that although the measures had been introduced for a trial period, villagers thought something needed to be done now before it became a tradition not to have the chimes sounding.

She said she planned to hand the petition to the PCC at its annual general meeting in March.

Vince Jarrom, licensee of the Black Horse Hotel in Giggleswick, has also launched a petition to turn the chimes back on.

He said: "It sounds a lot, every 15 minutes, but locals don't hear them. I have got plenty of letting rooms myself and in about two-and-a-half years I've only ever had about two complaints about the chimes."

Giggleswick vicar, Rev Peter Yorkstone told the Herald: "I hope that this trial period provides an opportunity for experiencing what the change means and also to have a period of mutual understanding of what it is like from the other person's point of view.

"For example, some people who are disturbed by not having the bells might understand what it's like for people who have been disturbed by the bells."

Mr Reynolds added: "We are working closely with the church to find a solution for the good of the community as a whole and we think the trial period is a good thing."

He added that the PCC just wanted what was best for the community.