A TEAM of craftsmen will spend the next month on their hands and knees restoring tens of millions of mosaic tiles at Glasgow City Chambers.

Most of the floors in the public areas of the three-storey building are made from tiny unglazed ceramic tiles dating back almost 120 years.

Over the decades some tiles have become loose or are missing and a team of experts from Northamptonshire has been brought in to restore the many thousands of square metres of intricate workmanship.

The £25,000 cost is being funded by the city council and Scottish Heritage and restorer Gary Bricknell is heading the team who will spend weeks working on their hands and knees in the dramatic building.

He said: "These floors are very important because they are one of the finest examples of unglazed ceramic mosaic in the UK, so they warrant the effort being spent on them."

The last attempt at restoration was carried out almost 40 years ago but since then cracks have appeared in some areas, some of the tiles have come loose and others are missing.

Mr Bricknell said: "Our job is to make good any structural faults or do repairs where tiles have become loose and could get lost.

"We will reinstate damaged or missing tiles with new or salvaged mosaic tiles in a colour match which will be very good.

"There are tens of millions of tiles over the three floors of the City Chambers but we will focus our attention on the main public areas.

"These floors have lasted very well given that there is a high footfall in some of the areas, so it is there we will spend a lot of time and effort.

"It would be impossible to create these floors today because there are no longer the craftsmen available who can do the work."

Lord Provost Liz Cameron joined Mr Bricknell in the foyer of the City Chambers as he started work on the city crest.

The mosaics date back to 1889 when the Chambers were completed and the Italian Renaissance style was considered unique at the time.