An agreement has been reached between a church and a member of public over when century old church bells should be rang in a market town on Christmas morning.

Rev Andrew Holford of St Mary the Virgin Church in Baldock and the single complainant reached an agreement to ring the bells before the 8am early communion service and the 9.30am Christmas communion on Christmas Day.

The clock at St Mary the Virgin Church in Baldock will start chiming at 7am each weekday morning and continue every quarter of an hour until 9.45pm at night. On weekends it will start at 8am.

There will be no more than six full peals a year which will not start before 9.30am. Bell practice will finish by 9pm.