Maximum effort from Macca at the Colosseum

Ringed by the crumbled walls of Rome’s Colosseum, Sir Paul McCartney strummed his acoustic guitar and belted out Beatles tunes during a rare concert of old hits such as Yesterday and Hey Jude.

The exclusive charity show last night took place before a few hundred people who paid up to €1,400 each to listen up-close to Paul inside Rome’s ancient gladiatorial stage – bathed in multicoloured lights and covered in wafting smoke for the occasion.