'It belongs to the people' - Nottingham's Victoria Shopping Centre celebrates 50th birthday

The Victoria Shopping Centre in Nottingham is celebrating its 50th birthday - here ITV looks back at its "spectacular" transformation over the years and why it's loved by so many.

The centre was built by Taylor Woodrow and was officially opened in 1972 by the Duchess of Kent.

It was built on the site of the old Nottingham Victoria railway station which was demolished in 1967. The clock tower was the only part of the station that was retained.

The shopping centre now has over 120 stores. It's serviced by its own bus station and has a car park with space for around 2,750 cars.

One local, Tess Boyes, recalls being just 16 when the Victoria Centre opened.

"It was such a massive part of my growing up," she told ITV News Central.

"It was way ahead of its time, it was not like anything we had seen before. The fact that it was covered over, the fact there was a food court, all these amazing shops that were here, it was just spectacular."

In 1970, the kinetic sculptor Rowland Emett, whose machines featured in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, was commissioned to design and build the water-powered clock 'Aqua Horological Tintinnabulator', or better known as, 'The Emett Clock'.

The clock was installed in 1973 and soon became a popular meeting spot. It was also modified to chime every 15 minutes and play music from French composer, Rameau "Gigue en Rondeau II" (1724).

Remarkably, the clock still works to this day, which is all down to the efforts of retired engineer, Pete Dexter.

Mr Dexter brought his granddaughter to see it in 2011, but found it out of action.

He then asked the centre managers if he could try and fix it in order to get it working again.

In 2015, the fully restored clock had returned and was officially reopened by Mr Dexter's granddaughter.

He told ITV: "I'm very proud. It belongs to the people of Nottingham.

"I'm from Nottingham - It's been here 50 years and i'm sure it can be here another 50 years if the Victoria Centre is still here and provided, if somebody can keep it going after my efforts, it'll keep going."