Sheerness is about to get a makeover in time for summer tourists. But it it is likely to be missing its distinctive town clock.

Cllr Monique Bonney, economy and property portfolio holder on Swale council's cabinet, revealed at a meeting between Sheerness Town Council and Sheerness Town Team on Tuesday last week that the council was poised to award a contract to repair the 119-year-old timepiece which has been fenced off to shoppers since engineers discovered its cast-iron top is now too dangerous.

The clock faces will be sent away to be cleaned, brackets which once held gas lights will be recreated and new LED lights will be installed to spotlight the 36-feet tall clock tower which was built in 1902 to mark the coronation of King Edward VII. It was last restored in 2002.

Discussions to decide if the current colour scheme of red, white and blue, which matches the town's official blue hue, might be switched back to its original green and gold will be held.

Cllr Bonney said: "It will be a proper job. The company we are looking at is very experienced and has worked on an almost identical clock tower in Dorchester."

She added that discussions were sensitive as the clock was in the middle of a conservation area.

It is likely the removal of the clock will be filmed by students at Sheppey College as part of a project and information hoardings erected while it is away being repaired. A triangular information panel has already been made which the town council hopes to install near the site of the clock tower when it returns.

Work on refurbishing benches in the town has already begun as part of a massive spruce-up. The first four at the clock tower have already been taken, repaired and returned.

Lamp posts are also due for a lick of paint.

Contractors are expected to begin work shortly and have been told to repair damaged inspection hatches at the bottom of the posts to keep shoppers safe from live electricity. Some doors are only held on by plastic straps.

Damaged road barriers are to be replaced and old ones repainted although some may be removed permanently to "open up" the high street where highways experts believe it will be safe to do so.

Flower planters are to be upgraded and talks are underway to move the concrete "Worrall balls", named after former Cllr Steve Worrall, from around the clock tower to another part of the town, possibly Beachfields, and replace them with "more in-keeping" bollards.

Parts of the High Street have already been given a "deep-clean" with a jet-wash.

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