The golden transformation of the Keighley town crier's bell has met with rings of approval.

The 100-year-old bell has been restored to its former glory for free thanks to the kindness and skill of staff at Keighley company Towler and Staines.

The Bradford Road company came to the rescue of Keighley town centre manager Sandra Parnham, who called for help in restoring the donated bell, which had seen better days.

It used a gilt-edged opportunity to give the bell a precious new lustre.

Managing director Graham Staines says: "Sandra told me they had this old bell for the new town crier, Michael Walton, but that it was in a bit of state.

"She asked me if we could do anything with it so we had a look and passed it on to Peter Brown, probably one of our longest serving decorators.

"We had quite a lot of gold leaf left over from our last major contract - gilding around the top of Saltaire United Reformed Church - so we thought we may as well use it for this job.

"We left it with Peter and he applied the gold leaf to the bell and varnished the handle. He has done an excellent job."

"The way it has been transformed is absolutely fantastic," says Sandra. "It's a lovely bell and the new town crier will be absolutely thrilled."

The bell was donated to Keighley Pride by James Bancroft, of Ward Street, after the Keighley News made an appeal for a town crier's bell.

It was originally used by the Lund Park keeper to tell people the gates were about to shut.

Mr Bancroft, a gardener at the park for 30-years, says it was used by various park keepers from the first, Dick Rowlands in 1891, to when Bradford Council took it over in the late 1970s and the greenhouses were closed.

At this point he was given the bell for safekeeping.

Town crier Michael Walton says: "The bell has a brilliant sound. It is great that it is to be kept with the Keighley town regalia." Due to the bell's size and weight it will only be used on special occasions.