Time certainly seems to have stood still in Largs during the damp weather of late, and it has been groundhog day at St Columba Parish Church’s clock which has again stopped working. The reassuring chimes have again been silent this summer.

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “Following issues identified last year we arranged to have extensive repair work done to the clock. This work was completed and the clock returned to working order in early 2015. “However, in May this year the clock was again reported as not working. Our contractor investigated the situation and the conclusion was that the clock could not be repaired due to severe water ingress and exposure to the elements as a result of damage to the fabric of the church building. “As soon as the church addresses this issue, we will return the clock to working order.”