Big Ben Could Be Covered in Scaffolding for a Year.

Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower may need to be covered in scaffolding for a year if rumors are true.

Recent media reports have suggested that Big Ben could fall silent if repairs costing upto £40M are not carried out. It has been 31 years since the 156-year-old clock tower had its last overhaul.

News outlet Gizmodo has today reported Big Ben could be covered in scaffolding for 12 months after a leaked Commons report was discovered over the weekend.

The article goes on to report that the clock’s hands are in danger of stopping dead, while there are also cracks in the tower and issues with metal erosion.

The dramatically worded report to MPs said the entire clock mechanism was at risk, adding:

“The clock currently has chronic problems with the bearings behind the hands and the pendulum,” reads the report. “Either could become acute at any time, causing the clock to stop – or worse. There are major concerns that if this is not carried out within the next two to three years, the clock mechanism is at risk of failure with the huge risk of international reputational damage for Parliament. In the event of a clock-hand failure, it could take up to a year to repair due to the scaffolding needed.”