Machynlleth Town Clock was completed in 1874 and locals have raised money to make repairs at various points in its history – but the clock is currently broken and has not functioned in almost three years.

The issue has been put on the local agenda by an anonymous resident who created a Twitter profile in the name of the clock to tweet an appropriate number of “bongs” every hour.

Machynlleth mayor Jeremy Paige told the BBC: “The fact that someone has taken the time and effort to create a Twitter account and bong on every hour for such a long time, shows the passion people have for fixing our beloved clock.

“No-one seems to know who runs the account but whoever it is, is doing so with a glint in their eye and a burning passion to see the real clock actually chime again. I love it, it’s such a charming idea.”

The town’s community council recently approved £55,000 of works to repair the clock, which are now underway in the hopes of being completed before the 150th anniversary of its completion in July 2024.