Video captured the moment hundreds of people broke through barriers to see New Year’s fireworks in scenes of carnage in London last night.
Videos from the scene in central London show swathes of people running through to the event as they push through barriers, as police drew batons in Westminster to manage the crowd.
Police officers could be seen trying to stop people from making their way past, as they ran cheering into the Mayor of London’s firework display.
From around 11.15pm until midnight there were a number of incidents, including on Westminster Bridge, where groups of people without tickets forced their way past hoardings and fencing.
Children could be seen running away from the area as a man snatched a crutch from the grip of another shouting man
Gates opened at 8pm for the sold out all-ticketed event and there were no reports of any significant incidents for the first three hours.
The Met said in a statement: ‘Officers worked quickly in challenging circumstances to support stewards in an effort to prevent crowds getting into the ticketed area and to maintain the safety and security of those already inside.
‘At the junction of Storey’s Gate and Victoria Street, they had to draw their batons when a small but determined group who had pushed down fence panels in an attempt to get in became aggressive towards stewards and officers.
‘A small number of people were treated for minor injuries.’
Elsewhere in the city, a group of men clashed in central London in front of terrified families with children during Saturday night’s New Year’s eve celebrations.
Video from Piccadilly Circus shows a huge crowd watching on as men in dark clothing began smashing glass bottles and shouting as they pushed their way into the crowd.
One man could be seen smashing a glass bottle on a bin and appeared to wield the broken end as a weapon, while others threw them into the air, with glass shattering on the floor.
A huge crowd watching on as men in dark clothing began smashing glass bottles and shouting
Onlookers filmed the brawl outside the Underground station entrance with their phones
Some of the men were pushing and kicking one another, jostling among themselves as families moved out of the way
Children could be seen running away from the area as a man snatched a crutch from the grip of another shouting man.
Others were pushing and kicking one another, jostling among themselves as families moved out of the way.
All the while, onlookers filmed the brawl outside the Underground station entrance with their phones.
As the violence calmed, five Metropolitan Police officers walked through the street as crowds continued to move around them.
A spokesperson for the Met told MailOnline: ‘Officers were carrying out high visibility patrols across central London, including in the vicinity of Piccadilly Circus, throughout the night on New Year’s Eve.
‘We are aware of a video shared online showing a brief altercation between two groups during which some projectiles were thrown.
‘Officers can be seen arriving less than a minute later but those involved had already dispersed into the crowds.
‘We are not aware of any arrests specifically in relation to this incident.’
Across the city, eight people were arrested on New Year’s Eve, including a 31-year-old man arrested for sexual assault.
He was wanted by the British Transport Police for five alleged indecent assaults against women and was arrested by officers during proactive patrols of the South Bank ahead of the New Year’s Eve event.
Men threw bottles into the air, with glass smashing on the floor as the brawl broke out
Crowds looked on as the brawl unravelled outside the Underground station entrance
Five Metropolitan Police officers walked through the street as crowds continued to move around them
The force had a multi-agency policing and security operation was in place across the capital, as the city centre saw revellers return.
During the night, two people were arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour, one was arrested for drink driving, and one person was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon.
Two people were arrested for assaulting an emergency worker, with one also arrested for handling stolen goods.
A final person was arrested for common assault and possession of cannabis.
The two officers who were assaulted sustained minor injuries and will receive the appropriate support.
The night saw a combined effort by Met officers, emergency services partners, the Mayor of London’s office, Transport for London and the event management and stewarding teams.
Volunteer Special Constables were on the streets along with thousands of officers in all 32 boroughs.
