PART of York Minster has been sealed off from the public after fragments of masonry fell to the ground.
Several pieces of stone, including a couple of knuckle-sized fragments, fell as tourists wandered around below in the Choir area of the cathedral.
Fortunately, nobody was hit. The area was immediately cleared and scaffolding erected to enable stonemasons to examine the cause of the problem and assess what needs to be done.
Minster spokesman Peter Lyddon said the incident happened at 9.50am on Monday and scaffolding had only just been completed so that investigations could begin. He said that Evensong, which normally takes place in the Choir, had been transferred to the Nave.
The York Early Music Festival had been due to open in the Choir area tonight with a concert entitled Echoes of St Mark's: Venetian Wind Music from 1580-1660. That event has now been moved into the Nave as well.
Updated: 11:56 Friday, July 06, 2001
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