- Tory MP Will Quince revealed the incident today after spotting the damage
- He said it was ‘unthinkable’ what might have happened if a person was hit
- Commons authorities have launched an urgent probe into what happened
The Commons authorities launched an urgent investigation today after a slap of stone roof collapsed and crashed to the ground.
The chunk of masonry smashed a car windscreen and a Tory MP on the scene said it proved the need for a vast renovation of Parliament.
Tory MP Will Quince said it was ‘unthinkable’ what might have happened if the slab had hit a passerby and not a parked car.
A slab of masonry fell off of a roof on the crumbling Parliamentary estate today, smashing a car windscreen. Commons authorities have launched an investigation
The incident was revealed by Colchester MP Will Quince (file image) who passed the scene shortly after collapse happened
The incident happened outside the Grade I-listed Norman Shaw North building, used as offices by MPs.
The Palace of Westminster is literally crumbling away and officials are desperate to push through a mulit-billion pound renovation that could see MPs and peers relocated to a new building for years.
A parliamentary spokesman said: ‘The main entrance to Norman Shaw North has been closed for health and safety reasons until further notice.
‘The incident is being investigated by parliamentary authorities as a matter of urgency.’
Parliament is crumbling and the palace is already under renovation. Work has involved the erection of a vast scaffold around the Queen Elizabeth Tower which is home to Big Ben (pictured)
Colchester MP Mr Quince tweeted a picture of the smashed windscreen of the Toyota Prius and said: ‘This stone fell off the top of a building. Imagine if this had hit someone. Unthinkable.’
Fellow Conservative Mims Davies said the incident was ‘absolutely shocking’ and occurred near her office.
‘Very glad nobody was very seriously injured or, heaven forbid, even worse,’ she added.
The building was originally used as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, when it was known as New Scotland Yard.
It was designed by architect Richard Norman Shaw and built between 1886 and 1890.