London New Year fireworks perfectly safe - Sajid Javid

Sajid Javid says he hopes the mayor will reconsider his decision

A decision made by the mayor of London to cancel the city's New Year fireworks display for a second year has been criticised by the health secretary.

Sadiq Khan announced the event was off again because of "concerns about Covid", but Sajid Javid said he "can't understand" the rationale.

Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Mr Javid said it would be "perfectly safe" to stage the event.

"Obviously that's a decision from the mayor... I hope he can reconsider it."

The fireworks show, pictured here in 2015, became a fixture in the capital after it was first staged to usher in the new millennium

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When making the cancellation announcement, a spokesperson for the mayor insisted London would "be welcoming the new year in a spectacular way".

They added: "To arrange an event on the Thames which had to then be cancelled would have wasted millions of pounds of taxpayers' money at a time of major financial pressures."

There will still be a celebration in Trafalgar Square, with details to be announced "in due course".

Last year, when England was in strict lockdown, the traditional pyrotechnics were replaced with a laser light show.

Also speaking to Mr Ferrari on LBC, the Labour shadow trade secretary Emily Thornberry said she was "disappointed" but the country was "still in uncertain times".

She added: "We don't know what's going to happen next in the pandemic, it hasn't gone away, and a large amount of public funds needs to be invested in advance in the firework display and we don't want to waste it."

Normally about 100,000 people pack the streets around Victoria Embankment to watch the display in person.

The light show that started 2021 was watched by millions of viewers on TV