Athletes given heroes welcome

Triple gold medallists cyclist Chris Hoy and Paralympic Equestrian rider Lee Pearson were among 350 athletes who took part in the parade, filling 12 floats.

Double Paralympic Swimming champion Ellie Simmonds, 13, and 14-year-old Diver Tom Daley had the day off school for the big occasion.

Trafalgar Square filled with fans enjoying the sunshine and the chance to see their heroes from the summer.

Team GB won 19 golds at the Beijing Olympics to finish fourth in the medal table with a haul of 47 medals - its best Olympic performance since 1908. ParalympicsGB won 102 medals, including 42 gold, to finish second in the medals table behind the host nation, China.

London 2012 Organising Committee Chair Sebastian Coe said: 'The British success in China was exactly what the nation needed. The success of the team and the reaction of the British public this summer will be multiplied many times over in 2012 - I know the country will be transfixed by the London Games and I’m sure that the athletes involved today will be firmly focused on the task ahead and the road to 2012.

'Equally, those who didn’t quite make it to the Games this summer will be re-doubling their efforts to reach the pinnacle of their sport – appearing at an Olympic Games or Paralympic Games in their home country in four years time.'

Read more on the Greater London Authority website