A COMPANY selling children’s clothes in Richmond has been written to by a councillor about the fact that the clock which hangs above their premises, the only one in sight, never displays the correct time.

Richmond Cllr Rodney Bennett in a letter dated August 28 wrote to the managing director of Gymboree Limited about the clock above their shop in George Street. He wrote: "On the outside hangs a large clock which could give a useful service, if only it ever told the right time. Unfortunately, it is virtually always either wrong or stopped; the two sides rarely agree with each other. It is the only visible clock in the area.

"Such persistently unreliable information turns what could be an asset into a liability. It would be better to have no clock rather than one which misleads. Would it be possible therefore either to get it working correctly or, if that is difficult or expensive, remove or cover it?"

At the time of going to press, Gymboree Ltd had not received his letter. When told of his complaint, a spokesman said they contacted Richmond Council 18 months ago about the clock, which they inherited from the previous occupant.

She said that having received a quote of £2,500 from a clock mender, they again wrote to the council to ask if scaffolding could be erected and whether the council might contribute towards its repair, since it might provide a public service. She said: “We never received a response from the council. We sent a second letter three months later, but we still didn’t get a response. We can’t carry out work on the clock until we have one.”