Who would own a siren like this?

SIREN call . . . Mary and Tommy McGann with the Second World War siren that towers above their Royton garden

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STANDING aloft as a remnant of a turbulent age, is this the last Second World War siren in Oldham?

Royton residents Mary and Tommy McGann are keen to know the answer, and who the siren — which stands in their garden — belongs to.

When she was a child, Mary used to live across the road in Haggate from the imposing structure — which was on a common where children played and bonfires were held.

But since moving house the common has been integrated into her garden, complete with the siren.

It used to be regularly checked by officials but was disconnected around 15 years ago.

Mary said: “When it was all wired up it used to be really noisy when it was windy and used to frighten us.

“People would come around to check if it was still working and they would set it off and everyone would run. The children were so scared of it.

“All the wiring to the siren was eventually disconnected and it stopped making the noise when it was windy.

“It’s really high up. It must be an antique now. I was wondering whether this was the last one standing and who it belongs to.

Children used to jump and bang on the structure so the couple planted trees to shield it.

Mary describes it as a tall telegraph pole with a brick box on top and two wheels that spin round to create the chilling noise.

The siren has become an attraction with people noticing it from as far away as the Centre Retail Park at Elk Mill and Broadway.

But, though the family has got used to it, they have asked for it to be taken down over safety fears.

Mary said: “I have always called it part of the family. It’s always been there. But last November when we had the bad weather it was swaying a bit and I was worried it might go over.

“If it landed on someone it would be dangerous.

“We asked the council if they could find out about taking it down but they said they didn’t know who it belongs to.”