Car window smashed after large piece of masonry falls from crumbling Parliament roof

An investigation is underway after a piece of masonry fell from a parliamentary roof and smashed through a car windscreen.

The area has been cordoned off after the large piece of stone fell from the estate's Norman Shaw North building on Thursday afternoon.

Will Quince, the Tory MP for Tweeted: "Evidence of why UK Parliament needs urgent repair. This stone fell off the top of a building. Imagine if this had hit someone. Unthinkable."

A parliamentary spokesperson 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."

The Palace of Westminster, a Unesco world heritage site, is in need of extensive renovation because of its crumbling stonework, leaking roofs, and inadequate fire safety measures. The Victorian building also has problems with asbestos.

 In recent years, part of the ceiling of the Lords Chamber collapsed onto the benches below, while a pipe once burst, flooding the Committee Room corridor. 

The huge outlay required to refurbish Westminster has proved controversial, with the Government looking to make huge public spending savings.

It has been pushed back by a combination of the snap election and MPs reluctant to tackle a potentially contentious issue.