London: London's iconic Big Ben fell silent on Monday until 2021 for a whopping 29-million-pound repairs with final 12 bongs, much to the consternation of politicians, including the Prime Minister, who have raised concerns over the plan to silence the bell for four years.
The midday bongs today afternoon were the last regular chimes from the famous bell within the Elizabeth Tower until the repair programme on the site is complete.
The bell set within the UK's Palace of Westminster fell silent for essential repairs until 2021, but will still be used for special occasions such as New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday.
There had been considerable debate among senior political leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and several MPs, about the iconic bell falling silent for as long as four years.
May has said "it can't be right" that the famous bongs will not be heard again until 2021 and has asked for the proposals to be reviewed.
A small group of MPs gathered by the members' entrance to the Houses of Parliament today to mark the occasion of the London landmark's final chimes.
"This is a desperately sad moment and you don't know what you've got till it's gone," said Labour MP Stephen Pound. "I think it's the passing of something that means a great deal to a great many people certainly to my constituents.
It's an elegiac moment of sombre sadness as the bells cease," Pound said.
Some Eurosceptic Conservative MPs have previously called for the bongs to ring at midnight after the UK officially leaves the EU on March 29, 2019. The House of Commons authorities who made the decision have said that workers would not be able to operate safely next to the ringing of the 13-tonne bell. However, it has promised to review the length of the bell's silence following the concerns.
Members of the public and tourists also packed into Parliament Square and lined Westminster Bridge to hear the final bongs.