U2 frontman Bono has praised Britain’s generosity in leading the “fight against extreme poverty” as the band kicked off the UK leg of their world tour.

The singer praised the country for its “inclusiveness” after images of war-torn Syria were shown to thousands of U2 fans at London’s O2 Arena.

Addressing the crowd, Bono said: “There are a lot of countries that say a lot, there are a lot of countries that do a lot. This is a country that does both.

“What you are doing to transform lives around the planet, you can not know. You should be very proud of what we’re achieving. This is a great country. That’s part of what makes Great Britain great – its generosity and its inclusiveness.”