21 GUN SALUTE
Surprise London fireworks and light show usher in the New Year as whole nation hopes for a brighter 2021
SURPRISE London fireworks and a light show have ushered in the New Year as the whole nation hopes for a brighter 2021.
The night sky was lit up over the capital last night in a spectacular display.
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The new year 2021 was illuminated, alongside a flying bird.
A spectacular light display was also projected from Tower Bridge and the Shard.
But not everyone was happy about the colours of the firework and drone display and claimed the show was "politicised" for using blue and yellow - the colours of the EU.
One unimpressed viewer tweeted: "The problem was, you couldn’t resist hijacking an really impressive fireworks display by making it political."
Another added: "Fireworks are outdated, inappropriate in the current climate disaster we are in and, to make it worse, Sadiq Khan politicised the London ones last night."
A third said: "Fireworks displays have been one of the few events where societies could forget about division and come together, even for a few minutes.
"Let's not add start adding politicised symbols into our celebrations, particularly at the start of a new year."
The fireworks came despite the traditional show around the London Eye having been banned to discourage crowds.
Streets in Central London were mostly empty last night, with usually bustling areas in the capital eerily quiet.
Other city centres - usually hubs of mass celebrations at this time of year - were deserted across the UK.
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However some determined revellers flouted strict lockdown rules and headed out to mark the end of a miserable 2020.
A large crowd gathered on London's South Bank, and partygoers were lso spotted on beaches in Brighton and Dorset.
Cops were out in force to move them along - with fines of up to £10,000 threatened for those who broke the rules.
Strict Covid rules meant there could be none of the usual New Year's Eve celebrations.
Pubs and restaurants are shut across the nation as 20million people went into Tier 4 on Thursday morning, meaning no mixing is allowed outside of household or support bubbles.
Publicans across the country have been forced to tip kegs full of beer down the drain, as almost all pubs in the UK were forced to close.
Cops had warned the public they will be fining people breaking the rules by meeting up with others for New Year's Eve celebrations - starting with £100 and rising to £10,000 for people having parties.
And they will be focusing their patrols in London on areas with the highest rates of Covid infections too, they said.
Despite the strict rules, a string of illegal New Year’s Eve raves are being secretly planned across Tier 4 London.
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Thousands of people are expected to attend the events which could send Covid spreading even faster through the capital.
Despite officials insisting there will be no fireworks or light shows to mark the New Year, there is speculation there will be some celebrations.
A test display of lights was seen over Tower Bridge in Central London last night.
Meanwhile in Newcastle, fireworks were set off early in the evening to avoid crowds gathering later.
Coronavirus cases continue to soar as a mutant strain of the bug sweeps across the UK.
Today, Britain saw its highest ever daily rise in cases with 55,892 infections reported in the past 24 hours.
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A further 964 deaths were recorded, bringing the total number of fatalities to 73,512.
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The rise in cases means a total of 2,488,780 Brits have now been infected with the bug.
Today's rise in deaths is only slightly smaller than yesterday’s figure of 981 - the highest daily toll since April - amid fears that the high toll may not be a lag in reporting, as was thought yesterday.
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Gavin Williamson tells Sky News he’s “confident” there won’t be another national lockdown
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