Trio abseil down Big Ben to check for damage

Three men with a head for heights have been abseiling down the tower that houses Big Ben as they clean and repair the landmark.

The trio climbed the 334 steps of the liftless St Stephen's Tower and descended each of the four sides of the clock face at a height of around 315ft.

One of the men is a specialist heritage glazer, he evaluated the repairs to the fragile glass fascia panels within the clock faces itself.

The men wore ear defenders as the clock continued to strike as they carried out the work.

All their equipment will be attached to them to ensure it cannot fall onto the ground below.

The clock, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, is cleaned every few years.