New Year’s Eve is quickly approaching and plans are in place to ensure Londoners are kept safe during the evening’s celebrations.
The Met has been working with colleagues from the Mayor’s office, Transport for London (TfL), British Transport Police (BTP), stewarding teams and other partners to make sure those coming to this year’s returning New Year’s Eve celebrations are able to enjoy themselves at the event, but importantly feel safe.
Thousands of Met officers will be on duty on Saturday, 31 December, across the boroughs and with extra resourcing in central London too.
Once again, the highlight to London’s celebrations will be the Mayor’s fireworks display at the London Eye where people are due to attend to watch along on Victoria Embankment.
This is a ticketed event and people will not be permitted entrance without one, so the advice from the Met is to watch the fireworks from the comfort of your home if you do not have a ticket.
Central London will be busy, and we would remind people to remain vigilant when out and about. If you see something that looks suspicious, or out of place, please report it to a police officer. It will never be a waste of time, even the smallest bit of information can help build a bigger picture, trust your instincts.
In line with our drive to provide protection and support for women and girls attending this year’s celebrations, we have been working with the charity Safer Spaces, to ensure there is a designated safe place where women and girls can go to if they feel unsafe, are in need of advice or wish to speak to someone. The space, located along Duncannon Street, will have specially trained professionals with safeguarding backgrounds on site, who will be supported by the police. Whilst the space is gender focused, the space is gender inclusive and anyone with concerns will be listened to and supported, with respect and dignity.
In addition, licensing officers will be carrying out visits to licensed premises throughout the day to ensure licence and event holders are complying with all the necessary safety requirements.
There will be a huge demand for public transport at certain points in the evening, we know there are service disruptions and that could delay or change journeys, so please make sure you are prepared and your route home is planned in advance.
Commander Karen Findlay, who will be leading the New Year’s Eve operation, said: “Plans have been carefully considered and we are delighted to be working with our trusted partners in preparation for a return to another fantastic New Year’s Eve in London.
“As well as the fireworks being ticketed, many celebrations held in restaurants, bars, and pubs will be taking place across the capital. Given the impact of possible service disruptions, it is best to plan your night out and book before coming into central London to avoid disappointment.
“We want everyone, however they decide to bring in 2023, to have a great night with friends and loved ones. We will have officers out in every pocket of London on hand to help, they are going to be working hard with stewarding partners to ensure safety is a priority. So please come and speak to us if you need our support or spot something that doesn’t look right. We want to be able to take the necessary and appropriate action at an early stage to manage any concerns.”
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Mobile phone signal can be hard to reach in large crowds, arrange a meeting place in case you get lost from your friends or family.
Along with the rail networks being busy, there are planned service disruptions and timetable changes.
Plan your journey to and from the event, making sure you get home safely. https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/
For more information on London New Year’s Eve 2022, visit: www.london.gov.uk/events/london-new-years-eve-2022
For more information on Safer Spaces, please visit https://www.saferspaces.co.uk/
