DARWEN’S town crier Anthony Meleady is looking for a bell to hit the right note to go with his new uniform.

So far he cannot find one with the right resounding ‘Dong Dong’ needed to match his smart outfit.

He may be forced to take a bell off the wall of his pub the Engineers Arms in Duckworth Street if the correct chime cannot be located.

After row in 2013, Darwen Town Council took over responsibility for the key post from the Darwen Research Group who hung on to the uniform and the replica bell they had bought.

They have now kitted out ‘Mel’ (as the town crier and publican is known) with a new set of robes befitting his important post.

But he is now looking for a new bell.

The original 196-year-old bell is now on display in Blackburn Museum.

And Mel is frantically testing out substitutes.

He told the town council: “I have found several bells but they all go ‘ding, ding’.

“I need one that goes ‘dong, dong’.

“It has to sound right to be a town crier’s bell.

“The original one in Blackburn Museum is not hitting the right note. Its clapper is not doing the business.”

Darwen Mayor and town council chairman Trevor Maxfield said: “We need a new bell that hits the right note.

“If anyone has got one, could they get in touch with Mel or me.

“If not, there is one on the wall of The Engineers that might just do the job if we paid to remove and repair it.

“We don’t want to have to make special arrangements to borrow the one in the Blackburn Museum for every event.”

The town council backed the search for a new bell and was impressed with the new robes when Mr Meleady modelled them for the councillors and members of the public present at the meeting in Darwen Town Hall.