Chelsea fans gather for Champions League trophy parade

Hundreds of Chelsea fans are gathering ahead of a parade to celebrate their team's Champions League trophy win.

The winning team, on an open-top bus, are due to start the procession at the club's Stamford Bridge home at 16:00 BST. It will end in Parsons Green.

The Blues won the silverware following a dramatic match against four-time winners Bayern Munich in Germany. Chelsea triumphed 4-3 on penalties.

It is the first time a London football club has won the European Cup.

BBC reporter Ed Davey, at the scene, said Chelsea fans were throwing celery sticks in the air as they awaited the parade, but it was all very good-natured and people were in high spirits.

The tradition began in the late 1980s and early 90s when the club's supporters threw celery in the air, accompanied by a song.

Celery was later banned from Stamford Bridge by the club.

The parade, which will begin from Stamford Bridge's west entrance, will travel east along Fulham Road, going on to Hortensia Road, King's Road and down New King's Road before arriving at Eel Brook Common.

After making a short stop, the bus with the players and the trophy will continue on to Parsons Green where the procession will end.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has closed several local roads west of Fulham Palace Road for the event.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers will be in the area "to assist" and manage the thousands of fans who are expected to line the streets.

"We will need to manage the crowd to make sure too many people aren't in one area at one time," he said.

Close to 70,000 fans turned out for Chelsea's last victory parade in 2010 after the team won the Premier League and FA Cup.