Mice, smog and Mps

Behind the neo-Gothic splendour of Big Ben, Britain’s Houses of Parliament is crumbling and overrun with mice, prompting its top official to warn the building may have to be “abandoned” without urgent renovations.

Leaking roofs mean members of parliament have to use waste paper baskets to catch drips when it rains and the ornate stonework has been eroded by air pollution.

Asbestos is a constant hazard and even the famous clock tower snapped by tourists from around the world leans 46 centimetres (18 inches) off the vertical.

Then there are the mice.

Rodents are frequently spotted scurrying around the members’ tea room and a mouse hotline was even set up so politicians could report sightings.

One lawmaker, Anne McIntosh — who has also seen mice in the House of Commons library late at night — wants parliament to adopt a cat from a nearby animal shelter to chase them away.

“For some reason, my idea of having a cat wasn’t accepted,” McIntosh told AFP. “There are also reported to be rats — it’s so close to the river and they say you’re never more than six yards away from a rat in London.”

Also on the list of MPs’ complaints are often cramped working areas and faulty heating.