Firm builds giant clock for China

The tower will be twice the height of the tower of Big Ben

A Derby company is building what it believes is one of the world's largest mechanical clocks for a park in China.

Smith of Derby, which is more than 150 years old, has been commissioned to build a clock with a 12.8m (42ft) wide face for the time-themed attraction.

Its engineers built a scale model of the mechanism which was given approval when officials visited last week.

Now the firm is facing a June delivery deadline for the clock which will be placed on top of a tower.

The clock will sit on top of the Harmony Tower, which will be twice the height of the tower of Big Ben, in the in the city of Ganzhou, in south west China.

Close inspection

Bob Betts, Smith of Derby's managing director, said: "This is a milestone for our company - we have not done one as big as this before.

"We have done many, St Paul's cathedral for one, but we have been opening up China for 18 months and this shows, despite manufacturing costs making it hard to compete, with British design and innovation behind you, you can still win."

Mr Betts said the Chinese had found the company over the internet but it had taken face to face meetings to seal the deal.

"They came to inspect the test clock, they came to see the company and it took a little time but we are now best friends," he said.

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A Derby firm wins a contract to build a giant clock for a Chinese theme park