A huge firework display planned for this evening has been cancelled with just hours to go, due to strong winds.
The Blackpool event was due to take place at 5pm tonight alongside the Christmas By The Sea village on the Tower Festival Headland.
But the cancellation has been confirmed due to a 'forecast of strong blustery winds across the seafront'.
VisitBlackpool say they have taken the decision based on safety advice from the company operating the planned fireworks display.
A VisitBlackpool spokeswoman told Lancs Live: “We are really disappointed that we can’t celebrate the start of a new year in the way we had hoped, but public safety has to come first.
“Unfortunately, as the fireworks were being fired from the beach, it isn’t possible to move the time of the display to later this evening because of tidal conditions.
"We have therefore taken the decision to cancel now to give people the earliest opportunity to plan their day.”
A spokesman for the fireworks company, Titanium, said: “Very reluctantly we have had to advise Blackpool Council that we will be unable to fire the show due to gusting winds from an unfavourable direction.”
The Christmas By The Sea village on the headland, which includes free skating rink, artificial snowfalls, light projection shows, light installations, the giant Star Flyer ride and log cabins serving food and drink, will still be open.
The Christmas village will remain in place until Bank Holiday Monday on January 3 as part of an extended Blackpool Illuminations season.
