Look, no hands! Famous pointers are missing from clock face on Big Ben tower as four-year restoration continues

  • The hands of the clock that mark the time on Big Ben tower have been removed 
  • The iconic landmark is being restored and will take four years to complete
  • The cost of repairing the monument has almost doubled to £61million

By CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

The hands that point out the time on Big Ben tower have been removed as the four-year restoration project on the iconic landmark continues. 

Spectators watched on as workers removed the historic arrows on Tuesday.

Repair work began on the 96m-high (312ft) Elizabeth tower in June and slowly the platforms surrounding it have reached higher. 

It is hoped that one working clock face would remain visible for as long as possible during the £61million repair works, according to Parliament's official website.

The hands that point out the time on Big Ben tower have been removed as the four-year restoration on the iconic landmark continues

The hands that point out the time on Big Ben tower have been removed as the four-year restoration on the iconic landmark continues

 It is hoped that one working clock face would remain visible for as long as possible during the £61million repair works, according to Parliament's official website

 It is hoped that one working clock face would remain visible for as long as possible during the £61million repair works, according to Parliament's official website

Big Ben was silenced at the end of August ahead of the repair. It is thought the 13.7 tonne bell's loud bongs could have detrimental effects on the hearing of workers operating in such close vicinity.

Elizabeth Tower was built 1859 at a time when it was known simply as the Clock Tower. It received its current name in 2012 as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

Some Conservative MPs have called for Big Ben to chime as a one-off during the maintenance works to signal the completion of Britain's exit from the European Union at midnight on 29 March 2019.

Spectators watched on as workers removed the historic arrows on Tuesday.

Spectators watched on as workers removed the historic arrows on Tuesday.

Repair work began on the 96m-high (312ft) Elizabeth tower in June and slowly the platforms surrounding it have reached higher

Repair work began on the 96m-high (312ft) Elizabeth tower in June and slowly the platforms surrounding it have reached higher

In September of last year, it was revealed that the cost of repairing the monument has more than doubled to £61million after engineers found the job harder than expected. 

The project was already controversial because it has meant silencing the Big Ben bell for four years. 

The bells will only chime at New Year and Remembrance Day for the next four years. 

London

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