A Dutch priest has been fined $7,000 for ringing his church bells too loudly in the morning. The Catholic priest began ringing the bells at just after 7 a.m. soon after arriving in Tilburg about six months ago. Residents complained and city council agreed that while the priest can ring his bells whenever he likes, he has to keep within noise laws.

Following complaints from residents, municipal officials in Tilburg, 115 kilometres south of Amsterdam, urged Father Harm Schilder for months to stop ringing the bell of the Holy Margarita Maria Church each weekday at 7:15 am, municipality spokesman Thomas Heesters said on Friday.

The least he could do is to reduce the volume, they said.

When Schilder failed to rein in the ringing, the city warned that starting August 16, he would be fined for every morning the bell chimed.

The bells, however, rang out again on Thursday and yesterday. ?The council does not want to get involved in this ? it's a house of prayer ? but we have to take into account the feelings of local residents,? Heesters said.

In a statement posted on its website, the Diocese of Den Bosch, under which the church falls, called on Schilder to take measures to make the bell quieter ?to prevent further escalation in the case.? Schilder did not return phone calls on Friday. But his church's website had a message for complainants: ?You are in our prayers.?