OH ye, oh ye - Calne has chosen a new town crier.

After an hour of vocal duelling on Saturday, the ears of townfolk were ringing nearly as much as the bells brandished by the four competing criers.

The town council was looking for a local loud mouth to replace Sue Cleverly, who is stepping down after four years.

"They were all very good," said Mrs Cleverly, who attended the event.

"It's not just about shouting as loud as you can, it's about clarity. You need a loud, clear voice."

The four prospective town criers were invited to sound off at 11am in front of a judging panel and a small crowd that had gathered outside the old post office at the top of the High Street.

Mrs Cleverly, 42, of Bryans Close Road, Calne, helped each candidate in turn to don the town crier's red and gold ceremonial robes and black-tricorn hat.

Each person who felt they were in for a shout at the job then rang a hand-bell and read from a sheet of paper, advertising current events in the town.

There were three judges on the panel; Calne Mayor Elizabeth Hitchens, deputy mayor Liz Watkins and Calne Town Council's community development officer Mark Wilkins.

Mrs Hitchens said the judges were looking for clarity, presence, tone and volume.

The winner of the competition was John Bridges, 71, of North Street, who was born in Calne, left home to work and returned in 2000 to retire.

Mr Bridges, who served in the Army, police force and was also a publican, said he was not daunted by public speaking. He said his work and interest in amateur dramatics would stand him in good stead.

"It's not quite the Eurovision Song Contest, but I'm still delighted," he said.

Mrs Hitchens said: "They were all excellent, but the gentleman who won had a bit of a theatrical air about him. He was clear, loud and also acted the part of the town crier."

Mr Bridges said he was looking forward to the job. "I'm a bit of an exhibitionist at heart," he said. "I've met most of the great British public and shouted at quite a few, so no worries there."

The youngest participant was 16-year-old Paul Smith, who is a member of the Calne Young People's Town Council and attends John Bentley School.

Mrs Hitchens, said: "He was great, but we couldn't really choose him because he's still at school and has exams coming up. But give it a few years and he would be an absolutely excellent town crier."

After the new town crier was chosen, the mayor thanked Mrs Cleverly for her service over the past four years. Mrs Cleverly said she had enjoyed being Calne's town crier, but it was sometimes difficult to fit in her duties with her work commitments. She said she wanted more time to concentrate on her singing and was thinking about the possibility of forming a rock band for fun.

The town crier will receive £55 each year in recognition of his duties.

adavey@newswilts.co.uk