A two-day celebration will be held on the streets of Barking and Dagenham this summer to thank the NHS.

The Thank You Roadshow will take place over the weekend of July 3 and 4 to mark the 73rd anniversary of the NHS.

Specially-designed floats will travel around every ward in the borough, with entertainment including singers, dancers, acrobats, drummers, stilt performers and local dance schools.

The event is being staged as a way to say thank you to the NHS, key workers and the community for everything they have done during the pandemic.

Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Darren Rodwell, said: “We’re delighted to be able to celebrate and mark this occasion in this way.

“The NHS, our keyworkers and our community have proved time and again to be something we should all be thankful and proud of – and the magnificent response to coronavirus by NHS workers has proved yet again that it is the best in the world.”

West Ham United captain and midfielder Mark Noble is sponsoring the roadshow.

He said: “I’m so pleased to be part of this amazing celebration, thanking all the NHS workers who kept going when everything else stopped.

"I hope a great time is had by everyone involved."

The roadshow is planned to kick off from Barking Town Hall at 10am on Saturday, July 3, although the event remains subject to the government’s latest Covid guidelines.

The family fun will also spill into the borough’s parks, with performances to be scheduled across the weekend.

Deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for community leadership and engagement, Councillor Saima Ashraf, said: “It has been a challenging time for all of us, so this will be a wonderful opportunity for residents to relax and enjoy some light-hearted family fun on their doorstep.

“There will be something for everyone, from amazing acrobats to sensational stilt performers, so I urge you to stick the date in your diary and share some of the magic you see on the day.”

Visit www.lbbd.gov.uk/thank-you-roadshow for more information, including a full schedule and planned float locations.