Revellers will be banned from celebrating New Year at one of London’s major landmarks with steel barricades thrown up around Primrose Hill.
The hill in north London has been one of the main gathering points to view London’s showpiece firework display on the Thames for decades.
But after teenager Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed there while watching the fireworks with friends in 2023 and a car ploughed into crowds as thousands gathered to see in 2025, Primrose Hill will be off limits.
More than 30,000 people traditionally head to the spot which has commanding views over the capital.
But the park will be closed from 8pm tonight to 6am on January 1.
The decision to surround the park with an ‘iron curtain’ was also triggered by the disbanding of the Royal Parks policing team, sparking fears over crowd control.
The decision to cut off Primrose Hill has angered some locals who feel the outright ban is ‘heavy handed’.
Malcolm Stiles, 61, told Metro: ‘I walk the dog on Primrose Hill so this ‘iron curtain’ around it is very annoying. I appreciate that there has been crime associated with the event, but I think this is heavy handed. It’s like the Notting Hill Carnival, these big events bring crime and anti-social behaviour due to the size of the crowds, but we must police that but ensure the event can go ahead.’
Helen Sachman, 45, said: ‘New Year on Primrose Hill is a tradition and it’s such a shame it will not happen this year. Tourists from around the world come and enjoy the informal way everyone just come together to celebrate. Of course, the murder was the most terrible thing but I think we have keep up traditions.’
Local businesses also enjoy a boost from the thousands of people flooding in and stocking up on drinks or snacks or hitting the pubs.
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A worker at convenience store Primrose Corner told Metro: ‘It’s disappointing for us because those people passing our shop is good for business. It’s usually a big night for us and other local shops so it’s a real shame.’
However, others said they were relieved that the crowds would not be descending on their community particularly following the murder of Harry Pitman aged just 16.
He was fatally stabbed there during the New Year’s Eve fireworks viewing in 2023.
Areece Lloyd-Hall, 18, was jailed for a minimum of 16 years in November for killing him after he accidentally bumped into one of Lloyd Hall’s group.
In another incident at just after midnight on November 1 this year a car hit and injured two pedestrians on Primrose Hill Road as thousands headed home after the fireworks. A man, 40, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.
Steven Parry, who lives close to the top of Primrose Hill, told Metro: ‘It’s a nightmare on New Year’s Eve for locals. We can’t get our cars out and there is horrendous noise and anti-social drunken behaviour. The murder was the tip of the iceberg. Enough is enough.’
The Royal Parks charity, which manages Primrose Hill, has said its capability to police the event would be ‘severely diminished’ by the winding up of Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks unit.
A Royal Parks spokesperson said the decision to shut Primrose Hill for New Year’s Eve was ‘not taken lightly’ and policing open park land like Primrose Hill posed extra security challenges.
The Metropolitan Police said the decision to shut Primrose Hill was necessary but that it was not the result of the disbanding of the parks police.
It said: ‘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.’
Commander Nick John, who is 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.’
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