Traditional New Year's Eve celebrations will be banned in Trafalgar Square this year because of safety fears.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) says major building work will not be finished in time and the area would not be safe for the public.

The north side of the square is being pedestrianised, reducing available space.

The Metropolitan Police have supported the move, urging people to say closer to home.

The square is a major building site

The north side of Trafalgar Square is being formed into a pedestrian piazza as part of a �50m project by London's mayor Ken Livingstone.

The area has been closed to traffic since September.

The GLA, which has been managing the square since October 2000, pointed out that it had never advised revellers to come to the square.

"There's no organised entertainment there and the area is already crowded because people are using the buses and trains around there," a spokeswoman said.

No entry

"People will have a much better time if they went to something that's organised."

On the night revellers will not be able to enter the central square but will still be able to walk around the perimeter.

There were freezing temperatures last New Year's Eve but that did nothing to stop more than 80,000 revellers gathering in Trafalgar Square to count down the midnight chimes.

The crowd did its best to create a carnival atmosphere, despite a police appeal to stay close to home and alcohol searches on the way in.