London's New Year's Eve firework tickets sale announced

Tickets for London's annual New Year's Eve fireworks display are to go on sale at midday on 18 October.

They are priced between £20 and £50, depending on the viewing area, and Londoners will be charged £15 less than visitors.

City Hall said prices have increased this year to "enhance security and crowd management".

The mayor's office said this was to comply with Martyn's Law, created following the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.

The BBC’s coverage of the event was the most watched TV programme in the UK last year with 12.1m viewers

Tickets for some viewing areas have more than doubled - from £20 to £50 - for the 12-minute display.

City Hall also stressed only tickets from official sales partner Ticketmaster will be accepted, after issues with fake tickets in circulation last year.

A second batch will go on sale nearer the time.

About 100,000 tickets are usually sold for the event

A spokesperson for the mayor said: "The display is shown live to many millions around the world, showcasing our capital, boosting our economy and providing an incredible global advert for our tourism industry."

They added: "The BBC’s coverage was the most watched TV programme in the UK last year, with many millions more watching on the iPlayer and online."

Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I’m proud that our spectacular display of fireworks, lighting and music gets better every year, boosting our hospitality and tourism industries and showing why London is the greatest city on Earth.

"The only way to enjoy this fantastic show in person is to buy a ticket, so I urge anyone wanting to attend to secure their tickets as early as possible.”