The bells were removed last year, restored where they have since been kept in Whites of Appleton and £60,000 has been raised in order to pay for the work costs.

The bells were placed in the church over the weekend before being winched back up into the tower through a hole in the floor via the ringing chamber. There are two rooms in the tower, the first of which is the belfry where the bells are permanently housed and the second is the ringing chamber.

The clock has had a number of mechanisms removed and will be put back to full working order by the end of the month. The access between the ringing chamber and the bells has been improved and the playing of the bells has been made easier.

"They had a bad reputation for being difficult to ring," said Diana Slevin, joint tower captain of the church.

"It's fantastic we have got the bells back and we are really excited. We have £1,000 left to raise but we are nearly there," added Mrs Slevin.

The last time the bells were removed from St Laurence Church was back in 1929. They were damaged during The First World War when all bells were silenced.

There were only six at the beginning of the century but in the 1960 the two trebles - the two lightest bells - were added.

but there is no evidence that the rest were brought down. "This really is a once in a century occasion," said Mrs Slevin.