Millions of people across England are ending the year under the toughest coronavirus restrictions, as the virus continues to spread and hospitals struggle with high numbers of Covid-19 patients.
More than three quarters of the country's population are being ordered to stay at home, as swathes of the country were plunged into Tier 4 (the highest level of restrictions in the UK) overnight.
Another 22 million people in parts of the north east, north west, south west and midlands have been placed under lockdown measures in a bid to control infections.
People were warned they must ring in the New Year by staying at home and not mixing, with NHS England's national medical director Professor Stephen Powis saying: "Covid loves a crowd." Hospitals