Thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences are to receive posthumous pardons, the government has announced.

It will mean formal pardons for those convicted over consensual same-sex relationships before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK.

Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said the move was "hugely important".

It honours a government commitment made after World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing was pardoned in 2013.

Under the move - dubbed "Turing law" - deceased people who were convicted of sexual acts that are no longer deemed criminal will receive an automatic pardon.

(BBC)