St Paul’s falls silent as its 12 bells are cleaned

The bells of St Paul’s Cathedral are to fall silent for the first time since the Second World War so they can be cleaned and restored.

A funding campaign raised almost £400,000 to pay for the work amid concerns that the bells could fall from their mounts if they were not repaired.

The 12 bells will be returned to the foundry of John Taylor & Co in Loughborough, where they were cast in 1878, so more than a century of grime can be removed and new moving parts fitted.

The bells, which last rang on New Year’s Day, are due to be replaced in time for the 140th anniversary of their creation on Nov 1.