In pictures and video: Hundreds descend on Wolverhampton Vaisakhi festival

The holy procession on Sunday took around four-hours to complete its journey around the city.

It began at 9am at Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwara on Cannock Road and continued to West Park, where it ended at around 1.30pm.

The procession originated in the Punjab region of India as a harvest festival and marks the birth of the Sikh nation in 1699.

There had been concerns that the parade would be blighted by banners that featured machine guns, which appeared during the Birmingham festival.

The black flag featured the words 'Khalistan Zindabad' and images of the guns.

A group called the Khalistan Zindabad Force, which supports the creation of an independent Sikh state, has been called a terrorist organisation by the European Union.

However, the words on the banner are believed to mean 'long live Khalistan', with the banner not connected to the Khalistan Zindabad Force.

Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood later defended his criticism of a banner, saying the poster was 'detrimental' to its cause.

The MP said the banner was promoting a 'militant organisation', though he admitted his comments had offended some Sikhs involved in the parade, who insisted the banner did not promote violence.

In Wolverhampton, no such flags were featured as part of the parade and the event was carried out peacefully, involving many families and young children.

Local dignitaries attend the procession, including Pat McFadden, Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East, who was jointly given an award, with other MPs, from the Wolverhampton council of Sikh Gurdwaras.

He said: "The festival is a hugely important part of Wolverhampton's religious life and shows the size of the Sikh community in the city as well as shows how the country has changed to become multi-faith, with people of different faiths living side by side in the name of pluralism.

Speaking of the banners that were present in Birmingham, MP McFadden continued: "I did not see any banners of that kind at the Wolverhampton event. I don't think there was a place for it. This was a fun family day out in the park for everyone."

A rolling road closure succeeded the procession around the city.

The parade followed an earlier Vaisakhi festival event which took place on April 19 this year. That procession started and finished at Baggott Street and proceeded via Bromley Street, Dudley Road, Wolverhampton Road East, Dudding Road, Dudley Walk, Ednam Road and Goldthorn Hill, Upper Villiers Street and Bromley Street.