Workers from an Ashford-based company clocked on for an unusual job today.

Height safety specialist Taskmasters sent two of its employees abseiling down the iconic St Stephen’s Tower in Westminster, which houses the Big Ben bell.

They were inspecting the clock face, as part of a maintenance programme completed every three to four years, to keep the glazing in good knick.

Dangling from ropes 70m above the ground, the cool-headed workers examined each face of the clock tower to pinpoint the areas that would need to be repaired.

They then directed a specialist glazer to the exact panes needing attention.

In total, the 96m tower contains 321 panes of opal glass, set in an iron frame.

Taskmasters, based on Dover Place, specialises in carrying out work at great heights.

Spokesman Terri Cliffe-Harrison said: "It’s been a very noisy experience, because the clock is still working.

"It’s especially bad at 12 o’clock because of the number of ‘bongs’. They have been wearing ear protectors, but they don’t think they’ve been 100 per cent effective."

As the workers lowered themselves down the 32 ft dial, they enthralled tourists gathered in Parliament Square below them.

Ms Cliffe Harrison added: "I was stunned by the number of people that were craning their neck to look at them.

"They looked like little ants, crawling across the clock face."

"It’s been a real privilege to work on such an iconic structure and it’s fabulous that a Kent-based company has been chosen to undertake that work."