Around 1,000 people took to the streets of Woolwich to celebrate the holiest day in the Sikh calendar.

The Sikh Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan procession began on Calderwood Street at the Gurdwara Temple on March 11 and marched through the rest of Woolwich.

For Sikhs, Vaisakhi is celebrated as the day of the creation of the Khalsa.

Vaisakhi is an annual event held by Sikhs all over the world for more 300 years and in Britain for over 40 years.

Woolwich Nagar Kirtan project manager Hardeep Singh revealed around 1,000 people from Greenwich and beyond took part in the procession and that the event went very well He added: "We place great importance on our Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan in Woolwich, as the Sikh community here is relatively small.

"We have been doing this for 15 years now and it is a great way to integrate and show the local community what the Khalsa is all about."

Woolwich was chosen to host a Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan due to a significant number of Sikhs living in the area.

Free food and a martial arts sword display were also part of the celebration, as well as Sikh hymn singing.

A Sikh Press Association spokesman said: "The serving of food represents every Sikh Temple kitchen which is open to anyone of any religion for free.

"That's what it's about, you could have a homeless person and a doctor eating next to each other."

Around 30 Nagar Kirtans took place across Britain, with tens of thousands of parishioners joining in the celebration.