The 13.5 British ton (15.1 U.S. ton) Big Ben will cease to sound the hours while the clock is stopped, and it will be cleaned and checked for cracks. It isn't due to resume regular service until 2021.

For certain contributors, especially those who had faced oppression in Nazi-occupied Europe, World War Two has given this sound new resonance. Hearing Big Ben's chimes on the radio during the war ...

The works are being halted over Christmas, allowing the bell to chime without risk. In August the news that Big Ben would not sound again before 2021 prompted criticism from Theresa May and other MPs.