Buildings around the UK turned purple to honour the memory of George Floyd, whose killing in police custody has sparked protests in the United States.

Mr Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, sparking days of protests in cities across the country and overseas.

Around the UK, buildings were illuminated purple in solidarity with protesters on Tuesday evening.

In Liverpool, buildings including the town hall and the Museum of Liverpool turned purple.

Laura Pye, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: “We at National Museums Liverpool stand in solidarity with our friends in Minneapolis and the black communities here in Liverpool and across the world, who are repeatedly blighted by tragedies such as the murder of George Floyd.

“This is not happening in a vacuum or in isolation. This is not a problem faced only by African Americans, racism and social injustice is not new and many in our communities have continued to experience them in all walks of life.”

It was a similar story in Leeds, Bradford and Norwich, where civic buildings turned purple, while St Helens’ Steve Prescott Bridge and Nottingham’s Wollaton Hall were also illuminated.

Across the boroughs of London, councils lit their buildings, turning town halls in Southwark, Islington, Lambeth, Wandsworth and more purple.

City Hall in Cardiff also turned purple, while a number of cities around the country promised similar tributes on Wednesday night.