In pictures: Up to 1.5m expected at Pride parade in London

Pride organisers predicted that as many as 1.5 million people turned out for the parade in central London today.

Huge crowds gathered on the streets of London as people celebrated 50 years since the Stonewall uprising in New York, which helped change gay rights throughout the world.

Parade groups paid homage to five decades of activism and protests, and those behind the march said it was a chance to stand up to bigotry and hatred in all forms.

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Some 600 groups, an increase of 25 per cent from last year, marched through the capital's streets in an array of colour, music and dance.

Diversity was one of the main themes of this year's pride, with the introduction of a new World Area at Golden Square in Soho. The new area was aimed at increasing the visibility of black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) LGBT+ people.

There was also improved accessibility this year, including viewing platforms for the Trafalgar Square stage, sign language interpreters and captioning for all performances across two large screens, and accessible, gender-neutral toilets.

A day before the parade, organisers declared a climate emergency in response to demands made by environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion.

The parade has been free from plastic glitter since 2017 and other environmentally friendly measures include volunteers being given a refillable bottle on the day.

Alison Camps, co-chairman of Pride in London, said: "As we take to the streets of London once again, it's vital that we remember that Pride is not just one day a year - we must fight for the rights of all members of our community all year round.

"In this momentous anniversary year, we must all take stock of how far we've come, and of the contributions and sacrifices made by trans women of colour to get us to where we are today.

"Our main aim is to ensure that everyone who comes to Pride in London has a safe space to celebrate, protest or mark the occasion however they wish.

"We will not allow Pride to be used as a platform for hate and we encourage everyone to come out and join us today so we can stand together against bigotry and hatred in all its forms."

The parade began at midday from Portland Place and finish on Whitehall.