Bell being put in sea near Par to highlight sea levels

The tidal bell has been completed and will be installed on Thursday

A tidal bell is being put in the sea off Cornwall to highlight global warming and rising sea levels.

The Time and Tide bell is part of a national art project, with 13 bells being put in locations across England, Wales and Scotland.

The bells ring each time the tide goes in and out, with the pitch expected to slowly change over time as sea levels rise.

The man leading the project in Par and St Blazey said he was "excited" by it.

Richard Parks, from the Friends of Par beach, said: "A lot of the villages sit very close to, or sometimes below, sea level, so it's very relevant here which is one of the reasons it was chosen as a site.

"It is not going to bother you and I, but it might bother my grand-kids and it might bother my grand-kid's grand-kids."

Listen: Richard Parks describes how the bell works to BBC Radio Cornwall

The bell is due to be installed on Thursday ahead of an inauguration ceremony with local school children in May.

Friends of Par beach were asked to do the project by Tywardreath and Par Parish Council who successfully bid for the bell.

The bell, which has been donated, is valued at about £30,000.

As part of the process, they had to obtain a license from the Marine Management Organisation, and raised £20,000 through crowd funding and donations from local companies, community groups, Cornwall Council and individuals.

The bells are all the same size and design, but are placed differently based on the location.

Other sites include the Appledore, the Thames barrier, the Isle of Wight, Anglesey and the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

It is hoped the bell may attract visitors to Par beach, which Mr Parks described as a "hidden gem"

"I'm so excited about it - it has been two and a half years. I'm tired but we got there," he said.

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