Star Wars Rogue One: Army of Stormtroopers invade London ahead of film's release

Forty fans dress as the famous character march through prominent hotspots

Stormtroopers marched through London to mark the release of Rogue One, the new Star Wars film in cinemas in Britain.

Forty fans dressed as the iconic ground force of the Galactic Empire and walked across the Millennium Bridge, through Canary Wharf and the London underground as passers-by took photos.

The fans also enjoyed an exclusive viewing of the film in London, where it was released in cinemas on 15 December.

Rogue One is the tenth film of the Star Wars franchise, but set chronologically before the pre-existing nine films.

While the Stormtrooper is typically portrayed as a malicious and merciless character in the films, put to brutal use by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, commuters on the London underground seemed to mostly enjoy their presence, taking photos and videos of them.

The film has received a mixed reaction, reviewed favourably by Rotten Tomatoes, though also being slated as unimaginative by the New York Times and the New Yorker.