London's Shard skyscraper celebrated with laser show

A laser show to celebrate the inauguration of London's Shard skyscraper has begun.

Earlier, the Duke of York and the Qatari prime minister attended a ceremony to mark the unveiling of the 1,016ft (310m) structure, which has been funded by the Qatar National Bank.

At about 22:15 BST a light show began firing beams from the summit to London landmarks including the BT Tower.

The spectacle could be seen across the city.

During Thursday afternoon's inauguration, which is yards from the banks of the River Thames in Southwark, Prince Andrew said the building was a "huge new boost".

He added: "I'm sure that we would all be extremely glad if this could be repeated in a number of other areas across the UK."

The Shard is joint-owned by the state of Qatar, and the country's prime minister Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani also attended the ceremony.

However there was dismay from some Londoners about the cost of a visit to the Shard, as it was revealed it will cost nearly £90 for a family of four to ascend to the viewing platform.

Tickets to the platform - which opens in February - will cost £24.95 for an adult and £18.95 for a child.