The Royal Parks charity, which manages Primrose Hill, previously said the capacity to manage crowds of the size usually watching the fireworks event would be “severely diminished” in part due to the closure of the Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks Operational Command Unit.
A Royal Parks spokesperson said the decision to shut Primrose Hill for New Year’s Eve was “not taken lightly”.
It added as it was not an organised event but a gathering in open parkland, it had “limited controls that we can deploy to ensure public safety”.
The Metropolitan Police said it was “not accurate to suggest” the decision to shut Primrose Hill was necessary because the Royal Parks policing team was disbanded.
“Officers from that team made up just 15 of the more than 145 officers who were deployed to Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve last year. This is similar to the makeup of deployments in previous years,” they said.
Commander Nick John, who is in charge of the Met’s New Year’s Eve policing, said: “The Royal Parks are urging people not to try to gather at Primrose Hill this year and we would echo those calls.
“Please make alternative plans. Anyone trying to access the park will find that it is not possible.”
