PIERCING the Newport skyline, the Newport Civic Centre clock tower is among the best-known landmarks in the city.

Towering above the main building – which is the seat of local government for Newport – the clock-tower was completed in 1963.

That was despite protest from the general public, who voted against the proposal by 40-to-1 in a poll of 8,743 signatures.

Ultimately, it cost £126,900 to construct the grade II listed building.

And now, despite its majestic potential, all four sides of the clock tower are covered in dirt, grime and muck.

One resident said: “That poor building.

“It should be clean and beautiful."

While others suggest the dirty walls are a result of a rise in air pollution.

When asked about the state of the clock tower a spokeswoman for Newport city council said cleaning is a “labour-intensive operation”.

“It has to be done by hand because of the building’s age and listed building status," she said.

She added that “work has to be carried out by a specialist company and this means it is expensive”.

“Specialist scaffolding is also required as there are complex access issues.

“This takes longer to install than regular scaffolding and also adds significantly to the cost.

“It is cleaned periodically but priority for spending council resources has to be given to frontline services.”

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The tower has been lit up by several groups over the years to highlight various causes.

In 2018, Rise Propaganda - a campaign group - shone their logo to highlight their movement, which aims to "empower and inspire individuals to overcome adversity and create a positive impact in the community", according to their website.

And it has also been illuminated pink and blue in aid of Baby Loss Awareness week.

Although the building was opened to the public in 1940, work on the clock tower was delayed because of the outbreak of war.

Indeed, the ceremonial first sod was cut in 1937 by King George VI.

The tower has also been used for daredevil abseils with more than 20 people braving the dizzying heights it offers in 2011 to raise money for charity.