TIME will stand still as Burnley Town Hall's clock gets its first major overhaul in 113 years.

The clock was installed in 1888 and has been in need of attention for some time.

Repair work carried out by experts from English Clockmakers of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, will begin on December 10.

Work could last for up to two weeks during which time Burnley's office workers and shoppers will have to check the time elsewhere and the town hall's bells will not be ringing out.

The work will include dismantling, descaling and repainting the hammers and levers, replacing cables supporting the clock weights and dismantling and cleaning the weight pulleys.

The chiming clock, which has the same type of mechanism as Big Ben, has four faces and is 90 feet high.

The clock is made to Lord Grimthorpe's design and was made by W Potts and Sons of Leeds.

There are five bells. The largest, the tenor, weighs 25cwt and strikes on the hour.

The four smaller bells weigh a total of 32cwt and strike the Westminster chimes.

The clock been a major feature of the Burnley townscape since the town hall first opened in 1888.

Mayor's officer David Farrer said: "We had problems with the clock when it was put back an hour in October.

"Maintenance was carried out, but it has been known for some time that it was in need of an overhaul.

"During recent service visits it has become increasingly apparent that there is now a great deal of work to be done to replace many parts which over the years have become badly encrusted or corroded and are begining to effect the running of the clock."

He continued: "It is the first major refurbishment since 1888.

"There have been various running repairs and since the 1970s it has been run by electricty.

"Until then my predecessors had to wind it up by hand once every seven days."

He added: "The weights and cables run from the fourth floor right down to ground level.

"If they went when they were at the bottom the clock would implode and would be irreparable."

Last year a group of horologists from the West Midlands visited to town hall to look at the clock.

Dave said: "They wanted to see it because it is a four-sided clock. They were very impressed."