ENGINEERS are being brought in to patch up Selkirk's iconic town hall - just weeks after a £430,000 refurbishment was completed.

But they'll have to go in the back door as the front one is seized shut.

The clock now regularly stops or goes backwards, the chimes have packed in, and water is also dripping into the main staircase.

The 226-year-old building houses Sir Walter Scott's Courthouse Museum and also hosts important civic functions as well as weddings.

Initial repairs costing £300,000 on the clocktower began last year.

And the bill for fixing the problems soon escalated with an additional £130,000 being required midway through the project.

But just weeks after the historic building was re-opened, at the end of last year, problems began to emerge.

Nobody has been able to open the front doors since the scaffolding was taken down as the lock is seized and the wood panels have expanded.

Staff have also noticed fresh water damage in the front staircase.

And the most noticeable calamity is the recently refurbished clock either going backwards or stopping.

Local councillor Gordon Edgar said: "There are problems with the clock and, although, we have someone who can fix it, it was a different contractor who carried out the repairs during the refurbishment and we need to see if it is under any warranty.

"The clock has stopped a few times and has even been seen going backwards - the chime has also stopped working."

Scaffolding was first erected around the Town Hall in October 2017.

And for the next 12 months contractors repaired the external stonework and internal fittings.

Councillor Edgar added: "Nobody has been able to open the front doors since the refurbishment work was completed - the doors have swollen and the lock has jammed.

"The staircase is also badly affected by water damage and remedial work is being carried out."

The £430,000 restoration was hailed as the centrepiece of the wider £1 million Selkirk Conservation Regeneration Scheme.

Historic Scotland handed over £795,000 for the works, with Scottish Borders Council making up the remainder.

The additional £130,000 needed midway through the scheme for extra repairs to the courthouse and clock tower was provided by Selkirk Common Good Fund and the local authority.

Scottish Borders Council bosses declined to comment if they would be seeking compensation for the fresh repairs.

A spokesman said: “We have been made aware of some issues with the courthouse, which we are currently investigating.”

To add to the problems vandals smashed seven panes of glass at the rear of the building last month.

The Sir Walter Scott Courthouse Museum is due to reopen next month for the summer season.