A VICAR and his wife, who have been unable to sleep with their bedroom window open for eight years because of the hourly chimes from the nearby church clock, thought their prayers had been answered when it was silenced for cleaning.

But their hopes of at last getting some crisp night air were dashed - by a swarm of wasps.

The Rev Chris Morris and his wife, Linda, have been at St Peter's Church, Rawdon, since 1992. Mr Morris said: "Because of the chiming at hourly intervals of the church clock, which is next to our bedroom window, we have not been able to sleep with the windows open."

Last week, specialists Wm Potts and Sons, from Leeds, arrived to clean the clock face - thanks to £3,000 raised by residents and councillors.

With the clock turned off, Mr Morris raced to his bedroom and opened the window. But to his horror, there was a wasps' nest staring him in the face.

"I got in touch with Leeds City Council and asked them to remove the nest for me. When they eventually got round to removing it work on the clock had been completed, the clock was chiming again and we had to sleep with the windows closed. I said to Linda 'we are back to normal'," he said.

Mr Morris said the clock was a useful amenity for villagers and it had been decided to have the clock face painted because it had become rusty and dirty.

Parishioners, villagers and a local councillor all contributed towards its facelift, which involved dismantling, cleaning, de-rusting and repainting the two faces.

Churchwarden Margaret Wilson raised almost £1,200 by completing the Leeds Marathon and further cash has been promised by Coun Brian Cleasby, of Rawdon, from his MICE money (Members' Improvements for Community Environment).

Mr Morris said the restoration had been a big job. "People seem to think it is just a question of climbing up a ladder and painting the face.

"It was not as easy as that and turned out to be a big and costly job. I am pleased the work has now been completed even though it means I will have to keep my bedroom windows closed at night," he said.

The church has in recent years appealed for money to restore the organ and the heating system, which had cost in the region of £36,000.

In October 1990 the church forked out about £5,000 for the clock, which was installed in 1922 by Wm Potts and Sons, to have its hand-wound system replaced with auto-winding.

Until then parishioners had carried out the daily task of winding the clock on the church tower for 68 years.

Last summer a Rawdon bride said she would not look at the rusty clock as she walked into church for her wedding.

A testimonial book of donors is to be placed in the porch for posterity.