Diane Abbott has been appointed shadow home secretary by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

A long-time ally of the Labour leader, Abbott previously served as shadow health secretary before the promotion.

Corbyn has begun a shadow cabinet reshuffle in the wake of his re-election to the Labour leadership after being challenged by Owen Smith, retaining the leadership in September with the support of 62% of his party.

The contest was triggering following a no-confidence vote from the Parliamentary Labour Party in the wake of Brexit.

The rebellion in June included a raft of shadow frontbench resignations, meaning many of Corbyn's remaining top team had to "double job" in multiple roles.

The Labour leader is now looking to rebuild his shadow cabinet.

Shami Chakrabarti, former director of influential campaign group Liberty, has been appointed to the post of shadow attorney general.

Lady Chakrabarti was made a life peer by Corbyn following a controversial report into anti-Semitism in the Labour party.

With shadow chancellor John McDonell expected to stay in place as shadow chancellor, and Emily Thornberry likely to retain the foreign affairs brief, the four most senior positions in the body will all be held by London MPs.

In a bid to stress regional balance in the top team, Mr Corbyn said the appointment of Jonathan Reynolds to the role of shadow economic secretary to the treasury meant there were 10 MPs from the north of England on the front bench.

Sir Keir Starmer, the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service who stormed out of the shadow cabinet in June, has been invited back as shadow Brexit secretary - a move that will bring on board one of the major moderate figures in the party.

Clive Lewis, who only became an MP for the first time last year, has risen sharply through the ranks - from shadow defence secretary to shadow business secretary, replacing Jon Trickett.

Mr Trickett has been moved to shadow Lord President of the Council and Labour's national campaigns co-ordinator and Nia Griffith becomes shadow defence secretary.

The Labour leader is rebuilding his frontbenches after the mass walk-out of shadow cabinet members who opposed him in the aftermath of the Brexit vote in June.

Dozens of posts were left unfilled, with many Corbyn loyalists "double jobbing" in multiple roles.

Elsewhere, Rosie Winterton has been sacked as Labour's chief whip and replaced with veteran MP Nick Brown.

Brown's appointment suggests some formerly critical MPs may be prepared to return to Corbyn's frontbench after his landslide re-election by the membership.

He said: "I hope that I can bring experience and play a constructive role in providing the strongest possible opposition to this Tory government."

Brown held the same position when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister, having served in several posts under Tony Blair.

Dame Rosie, who had served in the role since 2010, said: "It has been an honour to have served as Labour's chief whip for the past six years under three different leaders.

"I would like to thank the whips and the Parliamentary Labour Party for the support they have given me. I wish Nick Brown every success in his new role."

Corbyn has also appointed Sarah Champion to the role of shadow women and equalities minister and Jo Stevens as shadow Welsh secretary.

A Labour spokesman said: "Jeremy has today spoken to a number of colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party and will continue to do so throughout the day.

"He has begun the process of appointing a new front bench team."