IT has not ticked for 10 years but now a town centre clock could be given a new lease of life.

An online campaign calling for all clocks which have stopped to be re-started has highlighted the timepiece on the wall of the Cheshire Building Society in Bolton town centre.

According to the clock, attached to the building which also houses Waterstones bookshop, it has been twenty past one for almost a decade. But now the problem has been brought to the attention of the building's owners and they have promised to do all they can to get it started again.

Website, www.stoppedclocks.com, encourages members of the public to submit entries for clocks which have been stopped and should be re-started.

Commenting on the Bolton clock, one visitor said: "It has been like this for about 10 years. The building used to be Boots but when it closed it was divided into the Cheshire building society and Waterstones.

"About five years ago I wrote to the Cheshire and they promised to get it seen to but nothing happened. It is in a very prominent position on the precinct opposite Marks and Spencer and I think it is typical of today that nobody seems bothered about it. If it can't be repaired why don't they remove it?"

Property management company, Drivers Jonas, who look after the building in Deansgate for owners, Christ Hospital, which is a school in West Sussex, claim it is the tenants responsibility to maintain the clock.

A spokesman said: "It's the tenants responsibility to ensure the clock is in working order. We have contacted the tenants and asked them to ensure work is carried out on the clock as soon as possible."

Waterstones have promised to look into the matter.

A spokesman said: "The landlord has recently brought this matter to the attention of our property department, who are now looking into the situation. We will give you an update as soon as possible."

Sarah Lawley, Finance Shared Service Centre Manager for Cheshire Building Society's said: "Cheshire Building Society fully supports the campaign to restore the clock to its full working order. As a tenant we pay an annual service charge for the upkeep of the building and would expect that maintenance of the clock was included in this fee."