A famous New Year’s Eve fireworks viewing spot will be shut down this year after a major public safety decision by the Metropolitan Police.
London’s Primrose Hill will close to the public on December 30, with gates shutting at 8pm on Tuesday and remaining locked until 6am on New Year’s Day.
The Camden viewpoint, famous for its sweeping views across London, typically draws huge crowds for the midnight celebrations.
Around 30,000 people gathered there to welcome 2024.
But now, London’s cash-strapped police force has said it will be unable to police the area in 2025.
In November, the Met scrapped the Royal Parks police unit as part of efforts to address a £260million funding shortfall under Sir Sadiq Khan’s watch.
The disbanded team had previously helped tackle serious crime across London’s green spaces, including Hyde Park.
Safety concerns had already surrounded the annual gathering after 16-year-old Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed in the neck at the 2023 New Year’s Eve fireworks viewing.
Areece Lloyd-Hall, 18, received a minimum 16-year prison sentence in November for the schoolboy’s murder.
PICTURED: Police officers conduct a search on Primrose Hill in Camden, north London after 16-year-old Harry Pitman was murdered
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The Royal Parks charity, which oversees Primrose Hill, warned that its ability to handle large crowds would be “severely diminished” partly due to the closure of the Met’s Royal Parks Operational Command Unit.
“The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve was not taken lightly,” a Royal Parks spokesman said.
“This was not an organised event with an event organiser but a gathering in open parkland, and we have limited controls that we can deploy to ensure public safety.”
The Metropolitan Police urged the public to look elsewhere on December 31 – but shut down claims Primrose Hill would be shuttered because was necessary because the Royal Parks force had been scrapped.
“The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve is one taken by the Royal Parks, not the police,” a force spokesman said.
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The Royal Parks charity has admitted its ability to handle large crowds at Primrose Hill (pictured) would be ‘severely diminished’
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“Officers from that team made up just 15 of the more than 145 officers who were deployed to Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve last year. This is similar to the make-up of deployments in previous years.”
Commander Nick John, leading the Met’s New Year’s Eve operation, urged people to make other arrangements.
“Please make alternative plans. Anyone trying to access the park will find that it is not possible.”
Scotland Yard advised visitors to plan their journeys carefully and attend organised events where possible.
Tickets for the Mayor of London’s fireworks display, centred on the London Eye and Big Ben, have sold out
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Tickets for the Mayor of London’s fireworks display, centred on the London Eye and Big Ben, have sold out.
And Commander John appealed for responsible use of emergency services in a busy London.
“Please help us by being responsible and only calling 999 in a genuine emergency,” he said.
And the capital is bracing for a surge in crowds – with Met Office forecasters predicting a cool, clear evening.
“It certainly looks like we are in for a taste of winter as we welcome in the New Year, initially in the north, but more widely across the UK for the first week of 2026,” said deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway.
