NEWPORT’S eccentric festival clock could be returned to the city centre.

A spokeswoman for the city council confirmed it had decided to put the spectacular clock, which has moving parts, back on display.

Aplanning application has been submitted to the planning department with proposals to put the unusual timepiece on land next to the Newport Centre, but the authority said a number of sites were being considered.

Originally commissioned to represent Newport at the Garden Festival in 1992, the extraordinary clock called In the Nick of Time later found a home in John Frost Square.

Many people would gather to watch it open, as it billowed smoke and various characters popped out every hour.

But the popular artwork was removed from the city centre in 2006 to make way for the city centre redevelopment.

The authority also estimated it needed around £50,000 worth of repairs.

It was dismantled and put into storage, and in 2008 we reported how the council was looking to apply for grants to restore it to its full working condition.

Meanwhile the owners of the Garden Festival site in Ebbw Vale also showed interest in returning the £100,000 structure to its original home.

The question of whether the clock should be saved divided opinion with some people calling for it to be restored while others questioned the cost of doing that.

But news of its possible return will no doubt delight its supporters who voiced concerns that it may never be seen again after it was put in storage.

Whether it will be restored to its working form or will be static is yet to be decided.