An iconic clock tower is being fenced off due to safety concerns about the structure.

As part of plans to improve Sheerness town centre, Swale council commissioned an inspection of the listed clock tower in the High Street before planned repainting takes place.

It looked at the condition of the structure, clock faces and internal mechanisms to highlight any areas where work may be needed.

During the inspection, several serious structural defects and material fractures were found internally and externally, including some areas towards the top of the tower with multiple fractures.

As a result of this, the council has taken the decision to close off the immediate area to protect the public from the possibility of falling material.

Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at the council said: “We want to improve our town centres for local people and visitors, and the clock tower is a key landmark in Sheerness.

“We wanted to give it a refresh with new paint as part of our plans, but the inspection has highlighted that the legacy of decades of poor repairs and maintenance has resulted in serious structural issues, which will now require major work.

“We are speaking to specialist restorers to determine the extent of the repairs, cost and timings.

"There is the possibility the structure may have to be removed to be properly repaired, restored, and then reinstated.

“We will of course keep local people and the town council updated on the progress.”

Last month it was revealed that the clock tower was to get a major makeover as part of a long awaited spruce-up for the town.

The Grade II-listed 36-foot tall tower was built out of iron in 1902 at a cost of around £360 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII.

It was repainted in 2002 for The Queen's Golden Jubilee and then again in 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee.

Swale council was planning to give it a face-lift, with a new coat of paint, LED floodlights and repairs to its plinth and crown.

There were also discussions about replacing the concrete "Worrall Balls", named after former Cllr Steve Worrall and which are at the base of the clock, with something "more in keeping" with a Conservation area.

Initially, money from the revamp was said to be coming from the £100,000 of Section 106 'developer' money which Swale council was given to spend on Sheerness when Neats Court retail park was opened in Queenborough.

This will be added to as part of the council's newly launched Town Centres Project which has been set up to improve all of Swale's three main towns.

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