A church is Grimsby was facing an extortionate £50,000 repair bill for a clock that hadn’t worked in 12 years.

However, all it really needed was two bell-ringers with a £3 can of WD-40.

Grimsby Minster’s clock has been stuck at 12:02 for 12 years, but bell ringers Rick Haywood, 47, and Jay Foley, 15, managed to get it going with a good clean.

The clock mechanism is housed in a box on the wall of the bell-ringing chamber and the pair, due to perform maintenance on the bells, decided to look at the clock workings at the same time.

Experts, including the firm working on Big Ben’s £80 million restoration, said the repairs would warrant scaffolding around the 287ft tower – which dates to 1365 – ahead of any maintenance work.

But student Jay and Cheesemaker Rick managed to return it to its former glory fairly easily.

Rick, of Grimoldby, Linconshire, said: “We did not think we could do any more damage.

“We found various dead pigeons gumming up the bearings. Some of the bearings were very dry.

“We gave it grease and WD-40 and managed to get it running.

“The church had one or two engineers from big clock companies and they were starting at £40-50,000 to get it running again.

“We saved them at least £40,000 so I am hoping for a meal invite.”