Electric Fence to Protect Big Ben?

03/08/2004| IslamWeb

Big Ben, the famous clock tower on Britain's Houses of Parliament, could be surrounded by an electric fence as part of new security measures to shield it from terrorists and publicity-seeking protesters. It is likely to be installed as an interim measure around part of the perimeter of the House of Commons to protect Big Ben, considered a trophy target for terrorists, the Times newspaper said yesterday. House of Commons' authorities have ordered security officials to examine the possibility of running an electric current through strengthened fencing, the report said. "We will look in the shorter term at having better fencing and possibly electrifying it," an unnamed Commons source was quoted as telling the paper. "It would give you a nasty shock and (make you) jump off but would be at a height where if you fell off it wouldn't kill you." **PHOTO CAPTION*** Big Ben on Britain's Houses of Parliament.