The church dominates the skyline of the town

The vicar of Christ Church in Ebbw Vale could face prosecution by Blaenau Gwent Council if a noise nuisance is proved.

The Reverend Geoff Waggett insists the chiming of the church clock is part of the valley town's heritage.

But environmental officers are investigating as the council says it is obliged to look into complaints.

The tenor bell which chimes the hour at the church has been restored and sounded its first notes last month after a six-year silence.

But just days later, complaints were made about the chime's noise.

I just hope that the council will have a degree of common sense about this The Reverend Geoff Waggett

Now the council is asking complainants to keep a record of the noise before deciding if it constitutes a nusiance.

However, the vicar said that he was "really annoyed" when he learnt about the investigation.

"I resent being treated in the same way as someone playing their hi-fi at two o'clock in the morning," he said.

"The whole thing is a nonsense - the clock has been in the church for 60 years and it is part of the town's heritage.

"For every complaint that the council has had, I have had half a dozen people telling me what nonsense it all is."

Noise suppressors have already been fitted to the church which is undergoing renovation work in a bid to muffle the noise.

Reverend Waggett said people are annoyed about the complaints

But to stop the chimes from sounding overnight, a mechanical device would need to be fitted to the clock at a cost of �2,000.

"Many people have told me that they think the complaints have come from people who have moved into the area during the time the chimes weren't on," said Mr Waggett.

"I just hope that the council will have a degree of common sense about this," he added.

A spokesman for Blaenau Gwent Council said it had a statutory duty to respond to all complaints of noise nuisance.

"At present we are asking the residents who have complained to keep a record of instances which give them cause for complaint, in order for us to establish whether there maybe a case of noise nuisance to be addressed.

"Many cases of this sort are resolved amicably, and the authority would always seek to reach a solution without recourse to legal action."

If a noise nuisance is proved the authority will serve a legal notice and the vicar will have 21 days to appeal, said the spokesman.

Christ Church was built in 1860, and was recognised as outstanding in 1978 by the Historic Buildings Council for Wales.