THE sails of a restored York windmill have stopped turning because of a technical problem.

The Holgate Windmill, a Grade-II listed building and the city’s last remaining windmill, underwent a ten-year restoration programme before its sails started turning again last year.

The Holgate Windmill Preservation Society said there had been a major failure on its vertical shaft bearings, which meant the sails could not turn. A spokeswoman for the society said millwrights had reviewed the situation and were hopeful the sails would be working again by the end of today. She said flour could still be ground using electrically driven stones.

The spokeswoman said the problem related to a brake wheel that had slipped a couple of inches.