DUNDEE CITY centre business people and locals expressed mixed opinions yesterday when the Steeple Church’s bells rang out for three and a half hours.

A group of campanologists visiting from England carried out a full peal from 9am, prompting complaints to Dundee City Council’s environmental health department and the police.

The campanologists were ringing the bells in the church off Nethergate to mark the centenary of the birth of poet Sir John Betjeman and the 40th anniversary of the Tay Road Bridge.

George Sutherland, proprietor of The Tartan Shop, in Nethergate, complained to council and police.

“We’ve all got splitting headaches,” he said.

“We’ve had to close the doors to block out the noise.

“You can take it for five or ten minutes, but that’s 31/2 hours and it’s still going.

“The staff are finding it difficult and it’s affecting me—and I’m in the cellar.”

He continued, “Environmental health won’t come down because it’s not after 7pm.

“It looks like we’re just being left to suffer.”

The local authority itself owns the Steeple Church’s tower.

At the Trades House Bar, Blair Morrison said, “Our customers who are going out for a cigarette are coming in complaining.

“Sunday’s bad enough without it happening during the week.

“They have been practising since 9am for three hours.

“I can hear them in here when we’ve got music and TVs on, so I wouldn’t like to think how it must be for shops without that distraction.”

Steeple Church minister David Clark said, “The city bell ringers normally have their practice during the weekday evening and I was surprised there was clearly a practice happening on a Monday morning.”

But some people enjoyed the experience.

A spokeswoman for Nori Hairdressing in Union Street said, “We heard them but we didn’t really get bothered. We have music playing anyway.”

Along the road at the Bank Bar, a member of staff said, “We quite enjoyed it.”

Stephen Elwell-Sutton, captain of the church’s bell-ringers, said the visiting group had been given permission by the city council.

“They were marking the 40th anniversary of the Tay Road Bridge, the 100th anniversary of Sir John Betjeman and in memory of Dennis Mortershead, a member of the group who died recently,” he said.

“They have been ringing over the weekend in Scotland.

“I think it adds to the attraction of the city.

“In Scotland to have a ring of steeple bells is quite a privilege.

“I was wandering up and down in the Overgate and it was relatively quiet there.

“You could have a conversation but didn’t have to raise your voice.

“I feel it’s sad when so many people enjoy the sound of the bells there are a few people who don’t appreciate them.”

A council spokesman said it was the first such event in 15 years.

Tayside Police confirmed a complaint was received.