BBC rejects girl's offer to act as Big Ben

The BBC has politely rejected an eight-year-old's efforts to step in for Big Ben, when the London landmark falls silent for repairs.

A schoolgirl's offer to replace Big Ben's familiar chimes when the London landmark is silenced for repairs has received a gentle rebuff from the BBC.

BBC editor Roger Sawyer told eight-year-old Phoebe Hanson it would probably be too much work for such a young girl.

Hanson had written a letter offering to replace the clock tower's bells when they are silenced next year for a planned three-year renovation project.

The BBC said on Monday that Hanson had written to the Radio 4 PM program after hearing the chimes used to mark the time on BBC broadcasts would fall silent.

Sawyer said in his letter that it would be "quite a task for you" to handle the BBC bongs: "You'd have to rush in after school each day," he said.