Piccadilly Circus goes dark as billboards switched off

The giant billboards that have lit up London's Piccadilly Circus for more than 100 years have been switched off for renovation.

The six famous screens, which have long been a tourist attraction in the capital, are to be replaced by a single, large curved screen.

It will display high definition video streams, show weather, traffic and sports updates and broadcast social media feeds from advertising brands.

Coca-Cola, which has had its name up in lights on the corner of Regent Street and Piccadilly since 1954, will share the new space with five other advertisers.

The first illuminated advert, for French mineral water Perrier, appeared in Piccadilly Circus in 1908.

During World War Two from 1939 to 1945, the lights were turned off as part of a general blackout to stop German bombers identifying targets from the air.

On Monday, the lights went out at 8.30am and were replaced with a temporary advertising banner.

Except for the odd power cut and temporary switch-offs for the funerals of Winston Churchill in 1965 and Princess Diana in 1997, this is the first time the billboards in London's West End will be dark for a lengthy period.

"This is a huge day for Piccadilly Lights and though it will be a strange feeling to see them go dark, we're incredibly excited about their future," said Vasiliki Arvaniti of Land Securities, which owns the site.

The redevelopment is expected to be completed by the autumn.