A WEST Devon village school bell which has not sounded for nearly 80 years was rung in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee recently.

Milton Abbot School raised £100 to help to restore the bell, which is believed to have been made in Tavistock early in the 19th century.

The youngest and oldest children at the school were chosen to ring the restored bell at the jubilee bell tea party, which was attended by Nancy Balsdon, Beatrice Wilcox and Fernley Cox, former school pupils.

Miss Wilcox could remember the bell being run in 1918 to mark the end of the First World War and after enquiries, staff at the school believe the last time it was probably rung was in 1926, the year the Queen was born.

All the children in the school were able to see and touch the bell before it was re-hung in the bell tower in time for the jubilee tea party.

A commemorative plaque will be placed in yellow class at the school, where the bell rope descends through the classroom ceiling.