Diwali celebrations in Belgrave Road , Leicester, 2001

Some 60,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, centred around the Belgrave area of the city, and one of the biggest events of kind in Britain.

It is intended to be a celebration and people are advised to consider others by parking sensibly and not letting off fireworks at the event.

Belgrave Road will be closed to traffic from 5.30pm to around 9.30pm.

Insp Dick Clancy, Belgrave local policing unit commander, said: "The event is intended to be a celebration and our main aim is to ensure that people attending the event have a night to remember for all the right reasons."

The celebrations will begin at Cossington Street Recreation Ground at 6pm. The fireworks display will begin at 8pm on the recreation ground.

Diversions will be in place and traffic travelling city bound will be diverted Melton Road, Doncaster Road, Catherine Street and Dysart Way.

�80 fine

Traffic intending to travel along Belgrave Road out of the city will be sent along Belgrave Circle, Dysart Way, Catherine Street, Gipsy Lane, Marfitt Street, Melton Road or via Abbey Park Road, Abbey Lane, Red Hill Circle, Watermead Way and Melton Road.

There will be no waiting boards along various roads in the area to allow access by emergency service vehicles if required.

People visiting the event should not bring fireworks with them or set them off in a public place.

It is an offence and in order to prevent injury or distress officers will use powers under the new Fireworks legislation to issue �80 fixed penalty notices to anyone not following the law.