Thousands of football fans descended on south-east London on Saturday for the first league game between Millwall FC and West Ham United in 14 years - while hundreds of police officers were deployed to prevent disorder.

Images from around the stadium show mounted officers, police vans and specialist units patrolling the streets before and after the lunchtime kick-off.

Officers in riot gear were stationed around the ground as part of a major policing operation for a fixture long regarded as one of English football's most intense rivalries.

The Metropolitan Police put around 400 officers on duty for the Championship clash, roughly four times the number typically used for a second-tier fixture.

Authorities also introduced a Section 60 order, giving officers enhanced stop-and-search powers, alongside a Section 35 dispersal order covering a large area of south-east London.

Photographs show supporters making their way through tightly controlled transport routes, with rival fans kept apart before arriving at the stadium.

Mounted police, dog units and live facial recognition technology were all deployed as part of efforts to ensure the derby passed without major incidents.

Despite concerns ahead of the match, the game itself passed without significant disruption outside the ground. The Met later confirmed six arrests had been made by 4pm on Saturday.

Offences included tailgating, assault on a police officer and entering or attempting to enter a football stadium while intoxicated. All those arrested remained in custody.

A Met Police spokesman said: "Thank you to our officers on the ground, as well as partners at Millwall and West Ham football clubs, who worked to ensure the Dockers Derby took place without significant disruption across south east London – allowing attending fans to enjoy the match safely.”

The force added that the dispersal order would remain in place until just before midnight, allowing officers to remove anyone involved in disorder or anti-social behaviour.

On the pitch, the dramatic encounter ended in a 2-2 draw. Millwall had led by two goals before West Ham staged a comeback, ensuring the highly anticipated return of the Dockers Derby produced plenty of drama both on and off the field.

The photographs capture a rare sight in modern London football: one of the capital's most notorious rivalries returning under an extensive security operation designed to keep supporters, residents and businesses safe.