ONE of Darwen's major landmarks will be transformed and restored to its former glory within the next month.

The £30,000 refurbishment of the clock tower above the market hall, funded by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, will ensure that the clock and bell are preserved for many years to come.

Scaffolding has been installed on the roof of the market hall and all the materials that have deteriorated over the years will be replaced or re-treated to make it good as new.

Work includes the replacement of all the rotten timber work with new oak, removing all the old paint and treating the woodwork.

The tower will be re-painted and all the existing lead work, which is in a good condition, will be cleaned and treated.

Work will involve a complete re-felting of the slated roof on the clock tower and r3epointing of the chimneys.

It is hoped that the work will be completed by the end of November, depending on the weather.

Coun John Milburn, the council's portfolio holder for resources, said: "This work will not only improve the appearance of the clock tower but also forms a key part of the Darwen Town Centre Strategy which will regenerate the town centre helping us attract more people to the area to see what Darwen has to offer." The market hall opened in 1882 and the clock was added to the tower in 1899.

Sunnyhurst councillors have pressed for the refurbishment money for the past year.

Darwen councillor Dave Smith said: "All three ward councillors have been pushing for this work for a while. We probably first started to notice that it was deteriorating about 18 months ago and we lobbied the council for it to be included in the budget.

"It is about six years since work was last carried out on the clock tower but because of its prominent position it needed doing again. All the paint was flaking off and some lead work needed doing.

"I am obviously delighted that it is finally going ahead. It is a huge project and will hopefully bring the clock back to its usual standard."