Sir Sadiq Khan has unveiled the “Ramadan Lights” in the heart of London, hailing them as a “symbol of the kind of city we are”.

The London Mayor took part in the switch-on celebrations for the lights, which will be there for the next month, on Friday.

The lights feature the message “Happy Ramadan” and are funded by the Aziz Foundation, a charity which gifts grants and scholarships to British Muslims.

Buildings in the capital were lit up in green, the colour of Islam, for the event.

Sir Sadiq said: “Great to take part in the switch-on celebrations – a shining symbol of the kind of city we are – inclusive, welcoming and proud to celebrate all our communities.”

On social media, the Mayor’s office said: “The Ramadan Lights are shining bright in the West End once again.

“For the next month these fantastic lights will celebrate Ramadan and stand as a proud symbol of how our capital welcomes and celebrates our diversity.”

While the Labour Muslim Network hailed them for shining a light on Britain as an “open, positive and loving place”.

“The Ramadan lights in central London don’t just illuminate the capital, but they share the light that exists all across our communities,” the group said.

“They shine a light on the open, positive, and loving place Britain can be.”

Last year’s Christmas lights were criticised for not featuring any seasonal greeting or “Happy Christmas” message.

The Ramadan lights will transform on March 18, with the lights then reading “Happy Eid”.

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The lights will then remain until the evening of March 24.

Now in their fourth year, the annual light-up features more than 30,000 “energy-efficient LED bulbs”, and will be illuminated between 5pm and 5am.

Rahima Aziz, a trustee at the Aziz Foundation, posed alongside Sir Sadiq as they lit up.

She said: “Ramadan Lights London is our open invitation to people of all beliefs and backgrounds to come together and experience the values at the heart of Ramadan.

“We at The Aziz Foundation are proud that this initiative has become a shining symbol of London’s rich diversity, reflecting the warmth, coexistence and community spirit that make this city so incredible.”

Last year, GB News revaled that the Aziz Foundation co-founded the British Muslim Trust, a group awarded a £1million-a-year contract to monitor Islamophobia – despite the group having previously said the Government’s counter-extremism programme Prevent “actively harms Muslims”.