Covid: Manchester's New Year's Eve fireworks cancelled

Manchester's New Year's Eve firework display has been cancelled after a surge in the Omicron variant of Covid.

Councillor Pat Karney, from Manchester City Council, said it had been a difficult decision but "we have to put the health of our residents first".

It is the second year in a row that the event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It comes two months after London's firework display was cancelled because of "uncertainties caused by Covid".

Manchester City Council said the decision had been taken due to current government guidance regarding vaccine passports for large outdoor events, which would prove extremely challenging to manage due to the open and public nature of the event.

Mr Karney said it was a "massive disappointment" to cancel the event, adding "we know that many people will be upset about this".

"It was a difficult decision to make but with the new Covid variant spreading quickly - and government regulations around large events - we have to put the health of our residents first," he added.

Manchester's Christmas Markets will close on Wednesday, while the Winter Gardens will close on 2 January.

Winter Gardens, which is based at Piccadilly Gardens, will be open throughout the festive period and there will be live music and entertainment on the stage each night.

On New Year's Eve, Winter Gardens will be serving food and drink from 10:00 to 17:00 GMT.

The ice rink in Cathedral Gardens will close on 3 January.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]