TIME waits for no-one as the Royal Arcade demolition moves ahead with the removal of Big Bill's clock faces.

The time piece, which unerringly tolled the time accurately over Crewe town centre for more than 60 years, has been removed by contractors Cawarden and handed over into the care of Crewe Heritage Centre.

Workmen carefully took out the four 2.4 metre diameter clock faces which along with the clock mechanism and surviving glass from two former blue faces have been transferred to the Vernon Way museum.

There they will be preserved for posterity along with the clock tower's five bells, including the 1.1 tonne 'Big Bill', which are due to make the same journey in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, scaffolding erected around the tower will be used to bring it down by mechanical means with the brick debri dropped in stages onto the roof of the former shops.

When that work is completed then Big Bill will be no more.

A spokesperson for the Heritage Centre said: "We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to both Cheshire East Council and Cawarden Co Ltd for their support in preserving parts of this iconic town landmark.

"We are currently in the process of establishing the short and long-term plans for the iconic clock and we're looking forward to sharing our plans in the near future."