Commemorations have been held in France to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

Thousands of people attended, including heads of state and government.

The ceremony was held in the shadow of the famous memorial at Thiepval, which bears the names of 72,000 British and South African troops whose bodies were never found.

The Battle of the Somme was the bloodiest battle in the history of the British armed forces.

Allan Little reports from Thiepval.

Events footage courtesy of BBC studios