Sign taken down from Colston Hall in Bristol

Music venue Colston Hall has removed lettering from the outside of its building ahead of a planned name change.

It was named after Edward Colston, the 17th century slave trader, and built almost 150 years after his death.

Bristol Music Trust, which runs the venue, announced in 2017 that the name would be changed this year following a £49 million refurbishment.

The organisation said on Monday morning that removing the lettering is “just one step on our road” to revealing the new name this autumn.

The move comes after a statue of Colston was toppled and thrown into Bristol Harbour during a Black Lives Matter march on June 7.