London 2012 Olympics: Jeremy Hunt drops bell clanger

CULTURE secretary Jeremy Hunt brought some light relief to the build up to the opening ceremony today when he nearly injured bystanders when a bell he was ringing flew off its handle during an Olympics celebration.

• Jeremy Hunt nearly hits nearby spectators with malfunctioning bell

The minister was ringing his bell in his right hand on the deck of HMS Belfast when the brass become detached from its wooden handle and shot through the air above the deck of the Second World War cruiser.

He watched helplessly as it disappeared among a group of Olympics fans, his face betraying the fear and horror that a bystander may have been seriously hurt.

But fortunately the bell failed to hit anyone, with a clearly relieved Mr Hunt caught on camera saying: “Oh, oh dear! Are you all right? Health and safety!

“Are you OK? There we are, disaster averted.”