London turning to the Dark Side? German corvette blasts out Darth Vader tune on the Thames

German sailors have turned to the Dark Side as they travelled through London, playing the tune associated with Darth Vader.

The Star Wars character is part of the Sith Order, the main enemies in the film epic, with the German Navy poking fun as they played the famous Imperial March while travelling on the river running through the capital.

The German Corvette FGS Braunschweig can be seen passing Butlers Wharf, located on the South Bank of the River Thames, with crowds of people watching and listening as the ship played the famous Star Wars track.

• US and Germany to allow Ukraine to use supplied arms to strike inside Russia near Kharkiv
• Feeling the fear: German air force display pilot on moments of trepidation in the skies
• Germany to slash military aid to Ukraine by half in 2025

The Braunschweig class is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes and the trip marked FGS Braunschweig's second visit to London.

She was moored alongside HMS Belfast, a permanent river fixture in London, operated by the Imperial War Museum as a museum ship.

The music played by the German warship had "no deeper message", a German Navy spokesperson told the BBC.

"The commander can choose the music freely," the spokesperson said.