As the bells of Westminster Abbey ring out across London and on televisions around the world today it will be a Norwich man at the end of one of the ropes.

David Brown, from Trowse, is one of 10 Westminster Abbey bell ringers who will be doing a full peal - taking around three and a half hours - for the big day.

The 58-year-old, who lives in Devon Way in the village, will be part of a team of 10 who will be in the Abbey's bell tower doing the marathon ringing.

'We are ringing for three quarters of an hour before the service as the bride approaches and then after the service has finished we will be ringing a full peel', he said.

There will be 5,000 or more different changes in the full peal and it will take three and a half hours to complete.

'I was delirious with happiness when I found out I was going to be part of the wedding', he said. 'I thought 'this is something really special'. Then I started feeling a bit nervous. We have to be there for such a long time on the day.'

Mr Brown, who works at the Ministry of Justice, said: 'I think the bells will make it something special. It is a very joyful noise and quite a loud noise. People traditionally associate bells with weddings. When people hear the bells before the service they will know that it is starting in earnest.'

They bell ringers will arrive at Westminster Abbey at around 8am and will be in the tower until around 3.30pm.

Mr Brown certainly has the experience. He is one of only 12 people alive today who have rung more than 4,000 full peals. He does around 80 a year in churches and cathedral towers around the county.

He rings the bells twice each Sunday at St Peter Mancroft in the city and also takes part in bell ringing practice each Monday.

He has been part of the Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers for around 18 years and has taken part in special peals for events at the abbey over the years. They did a special practice for the wedding on Easter Day.

The bell ringers have had to learn the 5,000 different changes which they will do over the three and a half hours from memory. The combinations are often worked out by a computer to ensure they are not repeated.

He said that if they succeeding in ringing the full peal a commemorative plaque may be erected at the abbey.