QUIRKY WORLD ... Big Ben’s bongs ‘temperamental’ and out of time

ENGLAND: The bongs of Big Ben have become “temperamental” and can be out by up to six seconds, clocksmiths have admitted.

The famous hour markers have been fast for the past fortnight, interrupting BBC Radio 4 broadcasts that use the sound live.

The Houses of Parliament’s three dedicated clocksmiths have tried to deal with the problem by removing weights from the pendulum.