THE chimes at St Mary’s Church in Overton will keep on ringing, even after a noise complaint was filed against the church.

A noise complaint was made to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) by a nearby resident to the church, who feared the church’s chimes would keep them awake at night.

The chimes at the church ring every quarter of an hour, and have done so for the past 130 years.

The Revd Ian Smale, the rector at St Mary’s Church, said: “I was very surprised that someone had complained to the council about our clock chimes. It is the first time in the church’s history that anyone has complained.

“The mechanics that surround the chimes are ancient and complicated, and very few people in the village can actually disable the chimes.”

Head of environmental services at BDBC, Colin Rowland, said: “The council did receive a complaint about the chiming of the church clock in Overton during the night. This complaint has since been withdrawn and we will not be continuing with our investigations at this time.”

The Revd Smale added: “It really adds to the village ambience.

"A lot of people really do like to hear the chimes. The chimes are stopped from Friday evening to Sunday morning to allow the bellringers to practice.”