Big Ben: Great Clock stops for the second time in a week

Big Ben first chimed in 1859 and recently underwent an £80m refurbishment

The Great Clock of Westminster, which contains Big Ben, has stopped ticking for the second time in a week.

It froze for roughly 30 minutes on Wednesday, a week on from displaying the wrong time and Big Ben failing to chime.

Part of the Elizabeth Tower, the clock was unveiled earlier this year after a five-year £80m refurbishment.

A House of Commons spokesperson said they were aware of the problem and had quickly rectified the issue.

Clock hands on all four sides halted for about half an hour from 09:00 BST on Wednesday, and the Big Ben bell failed to produce its famous "bong".

The hands were moved forward, but witnesses have said the clock was still running five minutes behind.

Similarly, on 10 May, the clock stopped momentarily just before 13:00, and the bell did not sound.

Restoration works were initially forecast at £29m, but ended up totalling around £80m

Big Ben's chimes were silenced in 2017 to allow for a refurbishment of the 96m (315ft) Elizabeth Tower.

Costs ballooned to £80m and the project took a year longer than expected.

After five years, the 13.7-tonne bell finally chimed again and was officially unveiled in January.

The House of Commons spokesperson said that "no risks to the integrity of the mechanism have been identified".

They told the BBC these issues were all part of the "bedding-in" process, as bearings and other components wear in.

The spokesperson added that it was "not uncommon for issues like this to arise as the clock mechanism beds down after an intensive conservation programme".

Following this week's incident, extra lubricant was added to the mechanisms, and the section that pushes the hands was given more weight to provide extra power.

The spokesperson added it was vital for "rigorous and regular servicing" to take place on the clock, which could result in the hands occasionally stopping.

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