A SPECIALIST steeplejack and building restoration firm has signed a contract to carry out repairs to the birthplace of British democracy.

Darlington-based Stone Technical Services will work alongside English Heritage on spire repairs and lead work at Westminster Abbey’s Chapter House.

The Chapter House dates back to the 12th Century, and was originally home to the King’s Great Council, which later became Parliament.

It has not undergone any significant repair work since the 19th Century, when Sir George Gilbert Scott, the celebrated Victorian architect, restored the facade.

The contract is worth about £35,000 to the company, which employs 21 people at its Darlington headquarters in Kellaw Road and five at its South-East office in Pinner, Middlesex.

Stone Technical Services managing director Dave Stone said: “The preservation and restoration work at the Chapter House is an incredibly ambitious project. Very little improvement work has been undertaken for hundreds of years, so it has fallen into severe disrepair.

“The site is of international importance and requires sympathetic and careful restoration, as it has been badly damaged over the years by weather and city pollution.

“Our team has a great amount of specialist experience on similar projects, such as Selfridges in Oxford Street, London, and St Paul’s Cathedral, so we are looking forward to preserving this wonderful building for future generations.”