Ed Sheeran and U2 cancelled their shows in St. Louis over the weekend due to security concerns, amid ongoing protests following the acquittal of a white former police officer charged with murdering a black man.

U2 were booked to play The Dome at America's Center on Saturday 16 September, while singer-songwriter Sheeran was supposed to perform a sold-out show at the Scottrade Center.

However, police said they could not guarantee the typical level of security for a gig as protests continued in the city.

U2 frontman Bono said he was 'deeply saddened" at the events in St Louis.

"I found myself reading Dr King's speech from the National Cathedral and asking myself is this 1968 or 2017?" he said.

A statement from Live Nation, U2's concert promoter, said: "We have been informed by the St Louis police department that they are not in a position to provide the standard protection for our audience as would be expected for an event this size.

"We have also been informed that local crowd security personnel would not be at full capacity."

An additional post on the band\'s website said they "cannot in good conscience risk our fans' safety by proceeding with [tonight's] concert.

"As much as we regret having to cancel, we feel it is the only acceptable course of action in the current environment."

The promoters of Sheeran's tour also said they were concerned with fan safety due to an insufficient police presence.

"With the safety of the fans being of upmost concern, and after consulting with local officials who could not fully commit to providing a sufficient amount of police and other city services support, we felt it was in everyone's best interest to cancel Sunday night's show," Messing Touring Group said in a statement.

"While we regret to have had to come to this decision, we do look forward to returning to St Louis as soon as Ed's schedule will allow in 2018."

Tickets for both concerts will be refunded.