DING Dong Big Ben is dead…

Well, not really – but he’s going silent for the next four years and lots of people are very upset about it.

The bell at the centre of the world’s most famous clock in central London rang for the last time today (Monday 21 August). It won’t bong again for four years at least, as it’s in desperate need of repair; it has been silenced so that people can work on it.

This is the longest time the great bell has fallen silent in 157 years.

First News was there to catch Big Ben’s final bongs…