Apprentice Boys parade takes place in Londonderry

The annual Apprentice Boys parade has taken place in Londonderry.

It is one of the biggest parades held in Northern Ireland and marks the anniversary of the ending of the Siege of Derry in 1689.

Members of the Apprentice Boys, accompanied by bands, made their way around the city's historic walls.

Then after a wreath laying ceremony in the Diamond, there was a religious service in St Columb's Cathedral ahead of the main parade.

The governor of the organisation, Graeme Stenhouse, said great work had been done behind the scenes in recent years to help promote tolerance and respect.

PSNI Ch Inspt Jonny Hunter said the parade had passed off without any major incident.

He said the annual parade was an "example of how problems around parading from the past have been overcome through working together and through various parties talking to each other".

The memorial ceremony is held on the second Saturday in August each year, to commemorate the ending of the 105-day siege of the city in August 1689.

The siege took place against the background of the deposed Catholic King James II's attempt to regain his crown from his Protestant son-in-law, King William III.

Also known as William of Orange, or King Billy, the new monarch was supported by Protestants in Derry, who shut the gates of the walled city to keep out the advancing Jacobite army.

The ending of the siege is known as the Relief of Derry.