The sound of an historic Compton Organ will be heard in Watford this week for the first time in almost 20 years.

The instrument will be played at a special concert at The Colosseum on Thursday to celebrate the completion of a programme to restore it.

The organ was first heard in Watford in 1961 and was a regular feature of the entertainment at the venue until the mid 1980s when the council assembly halls were taken over by a private enterprise.

The new managers of the venue decided the organ did not fit in with their plans and mothballed it under the stage.

Now thanks to an initiative by Watford Borough Councillor Rabi Martins the organ has been restored to its former state and will once again feature in choral and orchestral concerts.

The Watford Philharmonic Society is already planning to feature it in their concert in the autumn.

The Organ Restoration and Maintenance Fund, which was started to restore the organ, will be left open to ensure that future regular tuning and maintenance works are carried out and the Organ retained in a perfect working condition.

Donations should be sent to Councillor Rabi Martins at Watford Borough Council with cheques endorsed "Organ Restoration Fund".