HUNDREDS of Olympic and Paralympic heroes are taking part in a victory parade around the capital today to mark their incredible London 2012 achievements.

Olympians including heptathlete Jessica Ennis, runner Mo Farah and cyclist Sir Chris Hoy will be aboard 21 open-top floats carrying around 700 athletes in honour of Team GB’s medal haul with a phenomenal 29 golds, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes.

The Greatest Team Parade will also feature stars from the Paralympic Games including David Weir, Sophie Christiansen and Jonnie Peacock, who had little time to recover from last night’s closing ceremony.

British Airways will lead a flypast with the Red Arrows during the parade having received special permission to fly over The Mall.

The flame-coloured Firefly A319 aircraft, which was used to bring the Olympic Flame to the UK at the start of the games, will display a special thank you message on its underbelly.

London mayor Boris Johnson said: “This summer our great city has hosted an unbelievable spectacle of sport and thousands will want to celebrate the achievements of our athletes by coming to the parade.”

The parade starts from Mansion House in the City at 1.30pm and will continue on 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.

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

A area around Admiralty Arch is solely reserved for groups who made an “invaluable contribution to the Games” and success of the athletes.

This will include 14,000 volunteers, members of the blue light services, military personnel, Team GB and Paralympics GB coaches and support staff, friends and family of the athletes and schoolchildren from every London borough.