US secretary of the interior Ken Salazar has announced that the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York is to undergo a US$27.25m (£16.9m, EUR19.2m) renovation.

Long-planned safety and "other critical facility renovations" will form part of the scheme, which is due to commence in October and will take around 12 months to complete. The National Park Service (NPS) has appointed Joseph A Natoli Construction Corporation to carry out the work and will keep the monument open to the public until 28 October.

Salazar said: "Two years ago, when we reopened Lady Liberty's crown to visitors for the first time since the 11 September attacks, I promised that we would continue to upgrade the interior to make it safer and more accessible for all. "With this announcement, we are taking a major step in bringing a 19th century icon into the 21st century."

Details: www.nps.gov Image: William Warby