Leicester's Richard III visitor centre: Crowds at opening

It is hoped the King Richard III Visitor Centre hopes will attract 100,000 visitors a year

Scores of people arrived more than 90 minutes early for the official opening of Leicester's Richard III visitor centre.

Visitors can see below their feet to the spot where the king was found by archaeologists in 2012.

Although the actual bones are not on display inside the £4m visitor centre, there is a 3D printout of the skeleton.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby officially cut the ribbon amid medieval-themed celebrations at 10:30 BST.

A 3D printout of the bones is on display

Crowds queued ahead of the grand opening

Dozens of people gathered before 08:30 BST for the grand opening.

The story of King Richard III: Dynasty, Death and Discovery is told in hi-tech fashion, more than 500 years since his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

The visitor centre is housed inside the former Alderman Newton school, which the city council bought in December 2012, and is ideally situated next to the car park where Richard III's skeleton was discovered.

About 1,000 tickets were sold for the official opening, with more available on the door.

The city council hopes the centre will attract 100,000 visitors a year.

The spot where the king's bones were found is on display

Richard III's last charge at Bosworth in 1485 is portrayed is projected onto the walls of the centre

For centuries Richard was known mainly through Shakespeare but science has put flesh on those bones

The city council hopes the centre will encourage interest in heritage