Journalists leave Bush House after their last shift in London on Thursday. (Reuters)

London, July 12 (AFP): The BBC World Service transmitted its final bulletin from Bush House in London today, ending 71 years of radio broadcasts from the building that kept millions informed across the globe.

Since March, the service has gradually moved to the new east wing attached to Broadcasting House in Portland Place, 2km away. Region by region, its 27 language services have switched over to the state-of-the-art building uniting the BBC’s national and global journalism operations.

Today’s midday news at 1100GMT was the final broadcast from the last working studio left in Bush House.

Newsreader Iain Purdon read the five-minute bulletin, leading off on the announcement of extra troops being deployed to the London Olympics. “And now, after more than 70 years broadcasting to the world from Bush House in central London, this BBC news bulletin is the last to come from our Bush House studios,” he said.

A recorded look-back at Bush House from outgoing BBC director-general Mark Thompson was then played.