Martin Luther King statue unveiled in Newcastle

Fifty years to the day since he visited Tyneside, a brand new statue of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. has been unveiled at Newcastle University.

Crowds turned out to see the big reveal, which is the culmination of a year-long programme of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of Dr King's visit to Newcastle, where he gave his last speech outside the US.

Freedom City has been the name of a series of events marking the 50th anniversary Dr King's visit to the city in 1967.

He was awarded an honorary degree, with Newcastle being the only UK University to honour King during in his lifetime.

King, the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA, used the now-famous speech at the ceremony to highlight the three great problems of racism, poverty and war.

Freedom City celebrations have brought together artists, musicians, filmmakers, academics and community groups for a city-wide celebration of King’s message of freedom, togetherness, empowerment and respect.

Renowned sculptor, Nigel Boonham, created the bronze statue of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, which can been seen on campus at Newcastle University.