After 300 years, bells could stop chiming

CRANFIELD, England, July 29 (UPI) -- Church bells in Cranfield, England, chimed every quarter hour for hundreds of years -- but the tradition was broken after some newcomers complained.

New residents said chimes kept them awake at night, Britain's Mail on Sunday reported. The city council has issued a noise abatement regulation, to take effect next month, preventing the bells from ringing at night.

Some longtime residents are upset about the ban. They say the church and its bells are part of the town's history.

"It is ludicrous," said bell ringer Michael Barnicott-White, 45. "This clock has been chiming since 1715, which is pretty much 300 years, so why should it stop?"

Some Cranfield residents told the Mail they were afraid the nighttime ban could lead to a total ban on the bells.