Church bells to ring across England in solidarity with France

Westminster Abbey bells - Twitter

Source: Downing Street/Westminster Abbey

Bells will be rung at churches and cathedrals across England on Maundy Thursday, in solidarity with France following the devastating fire at Notre-Dame cathedral, the Prime Minister said last night.

Experts from Historic England are coordinating with colleagues across the UK heritage sector to make an offer of support to their French counterparts once the damage has been assessed.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "Notre-Dame is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world - a symbol of France and the French people, and cherished across the globe. The images of destruction we saw last night were truly heart-rending.

"To underline our solidarity with France and her people, the bells at Westminster Abbey will toll at 5.43pm this evening to mark the moment the fire began yesterday. And later this week, on Maundy Thursday, bells will ring at cathedrals and churches across England. (Watch Sky New report here: https://news.sky.com/video/rare-moment-bells-of-westminster-abbey-chime-for-paris-11695646 )

"President Macron has pledged to rebuild the cathedral and I have conveyed to him that the UK will support this endeavour however we can.

"As we saw last night in the swift and heroic action of the first responders, France has huge professionalism in dealing with emergencies of this kind. I pay tribute to the firefighters and all those involved.

"When it comes to the task of rebuilding, French craftsmen and women are among the finest in the world. As they prepare to embark on this daunting task, we stand ready to offer any UK experience and expertise that could be helpful in the work that lies ahead to restore this magnificent cathedral."