Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said he is resigning, amid protests that have gripped the country for two weeks.

Mr Hariri said Lebanon had reached a deadlock and needed a shock to break the crisis.

The protests began against now-scrapped plans to tax WhatsApp calls, but quickly widened to target political corruption and economic turmoil.

In a televised address, the prime minister said he had reached a “dead end” and that he would tender his resignation and that of the government to President Michel Aoun.

Mr Hariri said: “For 13 days, the Lebanese people have waited for a decision for a political solution that stops the deterioration. And I have tried, during this period, to find a way out, through which to listen to the voice of the people.”

But he added: “It has become necessary for us to make a great shock to fix the crisis.

“Posts come and go, what matters is the safety and dignity of the people.”

President Aoun is still to comment. If the resignation is accepted, the constitution would require Mr Hariri to stay on until a new administration is established.