Bringing in 2016 with a bang! Britain welcomes in New Year with spectacular display as 12,000 fireworks are unleashed in London
- December 31st, 2015
Britain has welcomed in
the New Year as thousands of people gathered on the banks of the River
Thames to watch a spectacular fireworks display.
London revellers have been
watched over by every available officer at the Metropolitan Police's
disposal, including hundreds of firearms personnel.
As many as 3,000 officers
are working across the capital's centre, as cities across the world
heighten security in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
Many revellers braved the intermittent spells of rain ahead of the stunning midnight display featuring around 12,000 fireworks.
Earlier, other global
cities beckoned in the New Year, including Dubai, where celebrations
were tempered by a blaze in one of its tallest buildings.
Happy New Year! Britain has welcomed in 2016 as thousands of people gathered on the banks of the River Thames 
Outstanding: Fireworks in the capital have heralded the arrival of 2016 as revellers packed Central London near the London Eye 
Blue
is the colour: The celebrations went ahead as planned, despite a
similar display in Brussels being cancelled due to safety concerns 
What a sight: Fireworks explode around the London Eye during the New Year celebrations in central London just after midnight 
London
landmarks: Big Ben and the London Eye can be seen next to the fireworks
exploding over the capital to mark the start of 2016 
Amazing: Fireworks explode around the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament to mark the beginning of 2016 in London 
Big
Ben: The Metropoltain Police said it had worked closely with the
mayor's office, British Transport Police and Westminster City Council 
Fireworks:
Thousands of police officers watched over revellers as the night sky
above London was illuminated by a spectacular display
In Moscow, the arrival of the New Year was greeted by silence - as the firework display was five minutes late.
But in Brussels, the midnight display was cancelled because of threats of an extremist attack.
The Metropolitan Police
confirmed New Year's Eve was one of two events, along with Notting Hill
Carnival, in which there was no holiday entitlement.
Metropolitan Police
spokesman Superintendent Jo Edwards said: ‘We're mindful of what's going
on in other cities and across the world.
'We're linked into the intelligence services, but there is no specific intelligence about the event in London tonight.
Here
we go: The London Eye is seen in front of Big Ben and the Houses of
Parliament on the left ahead of the fireworks display in London 
Before the main event: The mayor's fireworks display in Central London was ticketed for the second year and sold out 
Excitement: Crowds were gathering for hours on the banks of the River Thames in London ahead of the New Year celebrations 
Taking a picture: Police officers pose with three women in front of the London Eye during the New Year celebrations 
Security: Tickets are checked in Central London for the New Year celebration fireworks display on the banks of the River Thames 
Uniformed
presence: Police officers arrived earlier to patrol ahead of the
fireworks in London as people celebrate the start of 2016 
Anyone
for a Big Mac? Revellers queuing for a McDonald's fast food restaurant
on Whitehall in London during the New Year celebrations 
Gated
entry points: Ticket barriers in Central London are pictured as
attendees arrived for the New Year celebration fireworks display
‘We have every confidence our policing plan is as good as it can be.
'We've been policing at
the threat level of severe for some time now, we are very experienced in
London policing large-scale events.
‘People who are in London tonight will probably see more police officers visible, including firearm officers.
'But that's been the case since those dreadful attacks in Paris.
‘We want people to be reassured, not frightened by the number of police officers they may see.’
She also addressed
concerns that the Met's focus on policing the New Year's fireworks on
the Thames would reduce coverage of other boroughs.
Pink colour: Fireworks light up the sky during the Hogmanay New Year celebrations in Edinburgh 
Going out with a bang: Fireworks over Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, as people celebrate Hogmanay 
In
blue: Edinburgh Castle is seen as Unicef lights up the city for New
Year's Eve to mark their #HappyBlueYear appeal for Syrian children 
Decked
in colour: The Statue of Queen Victoria on top of the The Royal
Scottish Academy is lit up in blue ahead of the city's celebrations
‘Business as usual
policing will carry on across the boroughs - there will be policing
plans in place as appropriate across all the boroughs,’ she added.
The Met said it was
working closely with the mayor's office, British Transport Police,
Westminster City Council and others so that the event ran smoothly.
The mayor's fireworks display was ticketed for the second year and sold out.
On New Year's Day, more than 8,500 performers representing 20 countries will take part in an annual parade through London.
The event, which includes
marching bands, cheerleaders, clowns and acrobats, kicks off in
Piccadilly and finishes in Parliament Square.
It will take in Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
Party
atmosphere: Crowds pack the streets of Newcastle-upon-Tyne yesterday
evening for the city's New Year's Eve 'Winter Carnival' 
Puppets: A winter carnival parade takes place in the centre of Newcastle, which was followed by fireworks on the Quayside 
Explosive:
A spectacular fireworks display at the Civic Centre in Newcastle
yesterday marked the end of the city's New Year's Eve carnival
And here's how people around the world have welcomed in the New Year...
NETHERLANDS: Fireworks explode over the Shipping Museum for the New Year in central Amsterdam 
AUSTRIA: Confetti explodes in front of Vienna's city hall at the 'New Year's Eve Path' in Vienna on January 1, 2016 
LITHUANIA:
Fireworks light the sky above the Cathedral Square in Vilnius shortly
after midnight during the New Year celebrations 
GERMANY: Fireworks explode next to the Quadriga sculpture on top of the Brandenburg Gate during New Year celebrations in Berlin 
FRANCE: People gather on the Champs-Elysees avenue before celebrating the New Year in Paris 
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: Fireworks explode during New Year celebrations in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
BELGIUM:
Fireworks explode in Brussels after authorities called off the usual
New Year's Eve display in the capital over terror attack fears 
BULGARIA: Fireworks explode in the sky during New Year celebrations in Sofia overnight 
FINLAND: Fireworks light up the night sky marking New Year celebrations in the Senate Square in Helsinki 
ROMANIA: This image provided by EarthCam shows a New Year's Eve scene in Transylvania on December 31, 2015 
RUSSIA: Fireworks light the night sky over the Kremlin's Spasskaya tower, St.Basil's cathedral and the Red Square in Moscow 
GREECE: Fireworks illuminate the sky over the hill of the ancient Acropolis in Athens on the first minute of January 1, 2016 
EGYPT: The Great Pyramids are illuminated for New Year's Eve at Giza, near Cairo, ahead of the 2016 celebrations 
THAILAND: Fireworks light up the sky over Wat Arun Photo by: Temple of Dawn
INDONESIA: Fireworks fill the sky of downtown Jakarta during a countdown event to celebrate the New Year 
CHINA:
Lanterns on a river in Zhouzhuang of China's Jiangsu province. Tourists
put hundreds of lanterns in the river to mark the New Year 
MYANMAR: Fireworks are seen near the Myanmar landmark Shwedagon pagoda during the 2016 countdown at Kandawgyi Park in Yangon 
PAKISTAN: Pakistani youths celebrate the New Year in Lahore overnight as countries around the world welcome in 2016 
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Fireworks explode over Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, despite a fire raging nearby 
INDIA: Indians throng a main thoroughfare as they celebrate during a count down to the year 2016 at Lucknow in India 
IRAQ: Iraqis welcome in 2016 during a New Year's Eve celebration in a park in Basra, 340 miles south-east of Baghdad 
PHILIPPINES: Fireworks light up the sky as Filipinos welcome the New Year under a slight drizzle in Manila in the Philippines 
SINGAPORE: Fireworks explode over the Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands as Singapore celebrates the New Year 
MALAYSIA:
Fireworks explode in front of Malaysia's landmark building, Petronas
Twin Towers, during the New Year's Eve celebration 
HONG
KONG: The city marked the beginning of 2016 with a spectacular
fireworks display over Victoria Harbour lighting up the skyline 
TAIWAN:
Fireworks shot out from Taiwan's tallest skyscraper as people in Taipei
- the country's capital city - saw in the New Year in style 
SOUTH
KOREA: New Year celebrations in South Korea take place on the border
near North Korea, where there was a huge fireworks display 
JAPAN: People in Tokyo saw in the new year by releasing helium balloons at the stroke of midnight around the Tokyo Tower 
AUSTRALIA:
More than a million people were expected to pack into Sydney Harbour
around the bridge, Opera House and Circular Quay 
NEW
ZEALAND: As well as fireworks, people in Auckland were treated to a
laser show from the Sky Tower, a landmark in the country
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