Beacons lit across the Midlands to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

• Beacons lit up the sky across the West Midlands

Last night, beacons were lit across the Midlands in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Celebrations to mark 70 years since the Queen's reign began started yesterday.

The UK has a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark Royal Jubilees, weddings and coronations.

In 1897, they were lit to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

The Queen has had them for her Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002 and 2012, as well as for her 90th birthday in 2016.

Thousands of people turned out to watch beacons lit at places across the Midlands including the BAPS Shree Swaminaryan Mandir in Leicester and Birmingham and the National Space Centre was illuminated in purple to mark the occasion.

Lichfield Cathedral, the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham and Andrew Island in Staffordshire also took part in the celebrations.

A beacon was lit at Woodthorpe Park in Woodthorpe and Eureka Park in Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

The Queen began the ceremony at Windsor Castle by touching a globe representing the Commonwealth nations, symbolically sending a chain of lights from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace. Around 3500 beacons were then lit nationwide at 9:45pm yesterday.