Hundreds join St Patrick's parade

The annual parade culminated in a free Trafalgar Square festival

Hundreds of Irish bands and performers have taken part in a St Patrick's Day parade through central London.

Beginning at Hyde Park Corner, the parade was followed by a free festival at Trafalgar Square.

Mayor Boris Johnson dedicated it to the peace process in Northern Ireland after the killings of a police officer and two soldiers, one of them from London.

The budget for this year's event was cut by a third, from £150,000 to £100,000.

City Hall also scrapped an annual St Patrick's Day dinner, saying it wanted to "ensure that taxpayers get value for money".

The St Patrick's Day festival mixed contemporary and traditional Irish music with stand-up comedy and live performances, as well as Irish dancing, storytelling, food and craft stalls.

The Mayor said: "Generations of Irish Londoners have made a tremendous contribution to the capital and St Patrick's Day highlights the strong economic and cultural links between London and Ireland."