THE evenings are getting longer as spring approaches.

And the question on everyone’s lips is – when do the clocks go forward?

Spring forward, fall back, so we will all be losing an hour of sleep when we go to British Summer Time (BST) this month.

This year, the clocks will go forward at 1am on Sunday, March 26.

Most mobile phones and other gadgets will automatically update – but don’t forget the oven clock, or the one in your car!

Why do the clocks change in the UK?

In the UK, clocks have gone forward in summer and back in winter since 1916, when the Summer Time Act became law.

The Act established the practice of putting the clocks forward during the summer.

It came after a pamphlet lauding the opportunities of changing the clocks, written by a man called William Willett (great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin), was widely circulated in 1907.

Sadly, Mr Willett passed away in 1915 – a year before his plan came to be law.

The Act said changing the clocks would enable people to utilise more of the daylight hours for exercise, work and more.

When do clocks go back?

The reverse of British Summer Time sees clocks change to make mornings lighter.

This happens at 2am on the last Sunday of October.

When the clocks go back, the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).