Trafalgar Square St Patrick's Day celebrations draw big crowds

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35798321

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Thousands of people have taken part in St Patrick's Day celebrations in central London.

Crowds decked in green, shamrocks and the Irish tricolour packed Trafalgar Square for the annual festivities, including live music, on Sunday.

A parade featuring marching bands, pipers, a 17ft high puppet, stilt walkers and dancers made its way from Piccadilly to the square earlier.

An official St Patrick's Day event has been held in the capital since 2002.

The Mayor of London's office organises the festival to bring the "best of Irish culture and a packed programme of great entertainment to Trafalgar Square".

There are 220,488 Irish people living in London according to the last census.