UK's Big Ben tower more badly damaged by Nazi bombs than thought
6 hrs ago
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Reuters/Toby Melville FILE PHOTO: The
Elizabeth Tower, housing the Big Ben bell, is seen clad in
scalffolding, over the Houses of Parliament, in central London
LONDON
(Reuters) - Britain's Big Ben tower at the Houses of Parliament was
more badly damaged by German bombs during World War Two than
originally thought, experts said on Thursday, as the bill for its
restoration rose by nearly 20 million pounds ($25 million).
The
177-year-old tower has been swathed in scaffolding for the past
three years as craftsmen refurbish its stonework and famous
12-tonne clock.
Being
able to get close to the 315-foot (96m) tower has allowed them to
spot other problems like damage caused by pollution and asbestos.
The
House of Commons and House of Lords Commissions said they had been
told that to restore the tower to its previous splendor, the budget
would need to rise from 61.1 million to 79.7 million pounds.
Ian
Ailles, Director General of the House of Commons, said the task of
restoring the tower had been more complex than anticipated.
“...
understanding the full extent of the damage to the tower was
impossible until the scaffolding was up," he said in a
statement.
Among
other problems, bomb damage inflicted on the tower during the
Second World War had been found to be more extensive than first
thought.
Although
the tower survived Nazi bombing, its roof and dials were damaged in
a May 1941 air raid which destroyed the main House of Commons
chamber.
The
latest refurbishment of the structure, during which its 13-tonne
Big Ben bell has been largely silenced, is expected to be finished
next year.
Work
on the structure - renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 - is
separate from the planned full-scale restoration of the Palace of
Westminster which has been estimated to cost 4 billion pounds and
is due to start in the mid-2020s.
(Reporting
by Stephen Addison; Editing by Alistair Smout)
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