Parade to honour GB stars

Mo Farah: Double gold medallist at London 2012

A special parade is to be staged in London on September 10 to honour Great Britain's Olympians and Paralympians.

Up to 800 athletes will travel on 21 floats to celebrate the achievements of the British teams.

The Our Greatest Team Parade is being organised by the Mayor of London, in conjunction with the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association, and will likely see crowds flock to the centre of the capital, just a they did in 2008 for a similar event.

Team GB finished third in the London 2012 medal table after winning 29 gold medals, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes - a total of 65.

Highlights of the Games included athlete Mo Farah's historic 5,000m and 10,000m double win, Jessica Ennis' heptathlon gold, and Sir Chris Hoy becoming GB's most successful Olympian of all time with two more golds, taking his overall tally to six.

The parade will set off from Mansion House in the City of London at 1330 BST. It will be organised by sport, with medal winners across the length of the parade.

Members of the public will be able to watch the parade as it travels along Queen Victoria Street and Cannon Street, passing St Paul's Cathedral, continuing along Fleet Street, past Aldwych and into The Strand, before reaching Trafalgar Square.

A big screen at the base of Nelson's Column, with live commentary, will allow spectators to cheer on the athletes as the parade makes its way past Trafalgar Square.

From Trafalgar Square the athletes will go through Admiralty Arch into The Mall, travelling down to the Queen Victoria Memorial.

Invaluable

A spokesman for the Greater London Authority said: "For capacity reasons, partly due to the infrastructure still in place from the previous day's Paralympic Marathon, the area from Admiralty Arch to the Queen Victoria Memorial will be ticketed and reserved for groups who have made an invaluable contribution to the Games and the success of our athletes.

"These will include 14,000 volunteers, members of the blue-light services, military personnel, Team GB and ParalympicsGB coaches and support staff, friends and family of the athletes involved, as well as schoolchildren from every London borough."

Prime Minister David Cameron will host an event to recognise the achievements of the athletes, the spokesman added.

He said: "Between Mansion House and Trafalgar Square, members of the public wishing to cheer on their heroes should expect very large crowds along the whole route. Anyone planning to come along should ensure they plan their journey in advance and take public transport wherever possible.

"Extensive road closures around the route will be in place throughout the morning and until after the parade passes through Trafalgar Square. These will have an impact on a large area in and around central London so it is essential to plan ahead."

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: "This is a chance to celebrate the heroes and heroines who have thrilled us with their skills, sportsmanship, and grace during London's spectacular Olympic and Paralympic Games, and whose names and triumphs will live on for centuries to come."