Cambridge's Corpus Clock removed after hammer attack

The Corpus Clock was not damaged in the attack, only the glass

A famous clock has been removed to allow new glass to be fitted after the original casing was vandalised.

Protective glass in front of The Corpus Clock, part of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, was smashed on 4 March at about 20:45 GMT.

The timepiece, which has no hands or numbers, was unveiled in 2008 by Prof Stephen Hawking.

Prof Ewan St John Smith, its custodian, said it had been "moved away" so there was room for repairs to be carried out.

Police said a "man with a hammer" attempted to damage the clock in March

"It is still on site and safely stored, but not currently on display," he added.

Only the glass was damaged by the attack.

Cambridgeshire Police said an investigation was ongoing, but no arrests had been made.

It previously said "a man with a hammer" had attempted to damage the clock.

The suspect was wearing "dark clothing" and ran away but he has not been located.

The clock was created by Corpus Christi alumnus Dr John Taylor.

Dubbed the strangest clock in the world when first unveiled, it features a giant grasshopper with 60 slits cut into its face which light up to show the time.

The grasshopper above the main time piece advances around the clock

The grasshopper or "chronophage", meaning "time-eater", advances around the 4ft-wide face, each step marking a second.

Its movement triggers blue flashing lights which travel across the face, eventually stopping at the correct hour and minute.

But the clock is only accurate once every five minutes - the rest of the time the lights are simply for decoration.

The clock is a popular destination for visitors in Cambridge

Prof St John Smith said: "The clock has been moved away from its enclosure ahead of the glass being repaired so that there is room for the necessary work to be carried out.

"Because of the damage to the glass, the window was boarded up to prevent any deterioration and thus any damage to the clock.

"The college is looking to get the glass replaced as soon as possible so that the Chronophage can once again be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike as it play tricks with time in the centre of Cambridge."

The clock can normally been seen on the corner of Bene't Street and Trumpington Street

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