Wheelin' in the year

The London Eye becomes a wheel of fire as below, crowds celebrate the arrival of the New Year. An estimated 100,000 people flocked into central London on New Year's Eve and watched a spectacular display light up the skyline.

Many had waited in the cold for hours to guarantee a good position on the South Bank. Mary Woodman, 66, from Newcastle, said: "It was absolutely brilliant and the setting was magnificent, against the Eye."

The £1million three-minute firework display was broadcast around the world and tourist chiefs hope it will attract more visitors to London during the coming year.

Retail manager Caroline Baldwin, 22, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, said: "It's fantastic. The atmosphere is amazing."

Twelve hours later ever bigger crowds carried on the celebrations as the New Year's Day parade transformed the West End.

Around 500,000 people watched marching bands, pompom-waving cheerleaders and giant inflatables wind their way along the two-mile route. A global TV audience of 200 million is thought to have watched the parade, which featured 7,500 performers from Africa, Asia and the US, as well as entertainers from across London.

Yesterday's free parade, now in its 18th year, started at Parliament Square as Big Ben struck midday.

Performers wound through Whitehall, Pall Mall and Lower Regent Street before finishing at Piccadilly.

The many attractions included jugglers, stilt walkers and clowns. Inflatable characters so big they had to be tied to more than 20 handlers danced through the air.

Dan Kirkby, a spokesman for the event, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the parade's success. It's been a big boost for tourism. Pictures were sent all around the world."

Karen Todd, 41, a part-time MA student, recently moved to the capital from Manchester. The motherofsix was watching with four of her children aged between three and 16.

She said: "This has been a great day and the children really enjoyed themselves. There has been something-for all of the kids. The little ones liked the giant inflatable cartoon characters and the teenagers enjoyed the cheerleaders."

Thirty-one boroughs supported the parade and 24 took part in the performances. Hammersmith and Fulham won the competition. In what proved to be one of the highlights, children from estates in the borough re-enacted a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream - on stilts.

Although it was wet, London escaped the severe weather that saw many New Year's Eve celebrations cancelled, including those in Edinburgh.