Playwrights and movie stars celebrated by London blue plaques

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Playwrights, movie stars and the first black footballer to play for England will be honoured with blue plaques in London, English Heritage has announced.

Irish writer Samuel Beckett, screen icon Ava Gardner, and West Bromwich Albion's Laurie Cunningham are among those to be honoured by the charity.

London's blue plaque scheme was set up 150 years ago to link famous people with their homes and other buildings.

The scheme's chair called the list a "wide range of talent".

Prof Ronald Hutton said it "will celebrate stars" who "made London their home".

The icons being remembered:

What is the blue plaque scheme?

The idea of erecting "memorial tablets" was first proposed by William Ewart MP in the House of Commons in 1863, but the scheme only started in 1866.

The first plaque erected was for the poet Lord Byron, with a memorial laid in 1867. More than 900 have been unveiled since then, English Heritage says.

It has been running the scheme since 1986 after it took over from London County Council.