A HISTORIC bell has been put on public display in Portishead.

The bronze bell, which used to hang in the lighthouse at Battery Point, has been installed on the central reservation in Wyndham Way, on the approach to the entrance of the town’s High Street.

The two-ton bell, which now hangs from a purpose-built engraved stand concreted into the ground, was removed from the lighthouse more than 10 years ago when modern technology replaced traditional navigational methods.

The official unveiling next month will see the conclusion of a campaign launched by residents Carol Thomas and Annette Hennessy in 2010, to locate the bell which was in the hands of the Bristol Port Company and have it brought back to its home town.

Portishead Town Council has funded the project to clean and install the historic item.

Simon Bird, from the Bristol Port Company, will be among the guests invited to the unveiling at 11am on February 6.