Big Ben set to go silent for repairs

LONDON -- Big Ben will stop ringing for several months so that repair work at the cost of £29 million can be carried out. 

For the third time in its 157-year history, the chimes of the London landmark will not ring out across the capital once work has begun next year.

The Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, will also undergo restoration works during the three year project, which starts in 2017. 

A repainting of the clock in order to reflect the early colour schemes is also planned.

Experts warned in a press release that if problems are not addressed soon "there is a high risk that the clock will fail". 

A spokesman told BBC News that the clock mechanism will be stopped "in order to carry out essential maintenance". 

"During this period there will be no chimes. We are also investigating whether or not the chiming will have an effect on operatives working at high level, which will need to be taken into consideration. Striking and tolling will be maintained for important events."

"Problems have been identified with the clock hands, mechanism and pendulum, which need to be dealt with immediately to ensure that the clock can continue to work properly," a Q&A on the Parliament website says. 

The Big Ben nickname originally referred to the 13.5 tonne Great Bell within the Elizabeth Tower - but the term now commonly indicates the clock and tower as a whole. 

Built in 1856, the Elizabeth Tower is now visited by 12,000 people a year. 

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