Black Sabbath, the band credited with inventing heavy metal music, have played their last concert, BBC reports.

The two-hour gig at the NEC Arena in their home city of Birmingham saw the rock veterans play 15 songs ending with their first hit, Paranoid.

Ticker tape and balloons fell as singer Ozzy Osbourne, 68, thanked fans for nearly five decades of support.

Sabbath's The End Tour began in the US in January last year and took in 81 dates across the world.

The tour schedule saw the band visit Australasia, Europe, North America and South America, finishing with two shows in Birmingham.