Big Bang machine shut down until next year

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva will be out of action until the Spring while engineers investigate a fault, it was announced.

A large amount of helium leaked into the tunnel on Friday, forcing the €4.5bn particle accelerator to be shut down, less than 10 days after the start of the project which scientists hope will unravel the secrets of the first moments of the universe.