The New Year's Eve firework display over the Thames in London has been cancelled this year because of coronavirus. The annual event is usually attended by up to 100,000 people and broadcast across the world. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said it has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to "uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic".

       GB News presenter Dan Wootton said: "Do you get the sense that some folk never want life to return to normal?

       "Failed Mayor of London Sadiq Khan today has cancelled the New Year's Eve fireworks display on the Bank of the River Thames because of what is described as Covid uncertainty.

       "There is no uncertainty. We are 80 percent vaccinated.

       "Life must return to normal."

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       However, a spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan promised that the capital's New Year celebrations will still be "spectacular".

       "This year, as always, London will be welcoming the new year in a spectacular way," he said.

       "Due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, our world-famous New Year's Eve display will not be held on the banks of the Thames this year."

       Last year the display was moved to a different area of London, and involved the innovative use of drones.

       However, the BBC received 500 complaints after the drones formed into a clenched fist - a symbol used by the Black Lives Matter movement.

       This year, City Hall is staying tight-lipped on how London will be ringing in 2022.

       "Last year's successful show took place in a slightly different way due to the pandemic, and this year a number of exciting new options are being considered as part of our New Year's Eve celebrations in London", the spokesman said.

       "Further details of this year's celebration will be announced in due course."

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       He would neither confirm nor deny whether the event will involve fireworks in some way.

       It comes at the London Mayor said the cross-party report from MPs on the coronavirus pandemic should serve as a "wake-up call" to the Government.

       "It's quite clear that what some of us have been saying for some time has been found to be true, which is the Government was ill-prepared in relation to this pandemic, made mistakes during the course of this pandemic, and many people may have lost their lives as a consequence of that," he told the PA news agency.

       "It's important the Government doesn't wait for a public inquiry, but learns lessons in real time, and... (makes) sure that this autumn and winter isn't as bad as last year's."