It brought everything from the shipping forecast to The Archers to listeners in remote areas – but BBC radio’s long wave is no more.

The broadcasting service was switched off at 1am yesterday, playing out with the National Anthem.

The first BBC long wave transmissions were in 1925, going fully national when a state-of-the-art station was set up at Droitwich in 1934.

As well as carrying BBC programmes, its strong signal was used during the Second World War to transmit coded messages to the French Resistance and play a key part in co-ordinating D-Day.

The BBC launched its first long wave transmissions in 1925, expanding to a national service in 1934 with the opening of a state-of-the-art transmitting station at Droitwich

Radio 4, which was the last long wave radio station in the UK, will still be available on other platforms such as FM, DAB, television platforms and on digital services.